Maximum Ride Book 7
by EmpressOfSarcasm
Summary: *SPOILER ALERT!* My version of what would happen in MR7. Max has a dark secret that could change everything. Fang gets his own flock and *GASPS* returns! New mutants, betrayals, and love! Fax. Eggy. Other OC pairings. No sequel, sorry. :S
1. Nightmares Suck

Part 1: Surprises

Chapter 1: Nightmares Suck

MPOV

_He and I stood a few feet from each other, not speaking._

_Around us, the hawks, the very same ones we had learned from, so long ago now, flew in slow, lazy circles. They acted as if nothing was going on, nothing was about to happen._

_But hawks can't keep track of time like humans or intelligent mutants. They only care about survival and their families._

_Like I used to._

_Like we used to._

_The wind picked up, and threw some of my long hair into my face. I moved it away with a quick swipe of my hand._

_He looked the same as I remembered him. But he was taller. Sadder. Like he had seen numerous battles and countless people die horrible, unspeakable deaths._

_Which, of course, he had._

_We both had._

_As we stood there, the wind tossing our hair and ruffling our feathers, the hawks swooping and sweeping and soaring, I whispered a solitary word that was soon snatched away by the wind._

"_Why?"_

FPOV

_I stood at the edge of the cliff. The Hawk's Cliff, as we'd come to call it._

_As they had come to call it._

_I held her letter in my hand, which was shaking so bad that I thought it would drop off into the canyon below._

_I couldn't bring myself to comprehend what it said. I just couldn't accept it._

_It read:_

Dear Fang,

I'm sorry. There aren't enough words to describe how sorry I am. I'm sorry I cannot be there to see you again. I'm sorry that you have to read this. But you have to know. I can't live with myself knowing that you didn't know why I didn't come.

My expiration date appeared.

Today, right now, as I write this letter, I am dying. Today is my last day. I'm so, so sorry.

Let me tell you a secret: I wished that you would be here today. I know it was naïve to hope, even to think, that you would show up. But it was my secret wish. One that I carry to my grave.

In your last letter to me, you said how much you loved me. Now it's my turn.

I love you, Fang. I know that I should hate you for leaving me—the flock—but I just can't bring myself to hate you. I love you too much.

Remember when you were captured by Dr. G-H? Well, when you were "dead," I said that I loved you, and that I wished I could say it to your face. I was a coward not to. But now I have to, so you can know that I feel the same way you do.

Dylan has nothing on you, Fang. You're my perfect other half. My soul- mate. I know it sounds corny, but it's true. I love your hair, your eyes, and your smile. I love the way that you act suave, but on the inside you really do have emotions (ha-ha-ha!). I love how you cared for the flock as much as I did. You're like Iggy and Gazzy's brother. You were like a brother to Nudge, too. Angel once told me that you were like a father to her after Jeb left.

For my whole life, you were my best friend. For a while, you were like a brother to me. You were my second-in-command, my right-wing man, the only person I could trust besides myself. I can't remember when my feelings changed for you, but when they did I tried so hard not to love you. But as soon as I admitted to myself that I did, I fell for you so hard that there was no way that I'd ever recover.

You're as bad a cook and driver as I am, sometimes I like you better when you don't talk at all, and once I even wished that I'd never even met you. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you so, so much that I can't let you go. Even right now.

I wish that I could be there in ten years so I could ask you why you left me broken-hearted and the flock broken in ranks. I wish that I could see your face once more, kiss you one last time, and tell you I love you to your face. But I can't. You can't.

I wish that we could talk about this face-to-face, like we used to. I know we can't though. But maybe, someday, we'll figure all this out. We'll end all our doubts. We'll find a way to make things better. But that won't be for a long time.

Fang, I want you to do something for me. Go find a girl named Arianna Ride.

Arianna is our daughter, Fang. Do remember the night before Total and Akila's wedding? Well, I found out I was pregnant three months after you left.

You would love her! She looks just like you (concerning hair, eyes, and skin-tone). Her wings are a mix of yours and mine. Her attitude is entirely mine, though.

She was always asking about you. Who you were, what you looked like, where you were. But I always told her the same story: "You father was a kind man. You have his hair, eyes, and skin tone. And some of his wings. We met when we were too young to remember and were always best friends. He left before you were born and before I even knew I was pregnant with you. I'm not sure where he is, but I can tell you that in a few years you'll get to meet him. He promised." Then I would tell her about the note. I have it memorized.

Find her. Please. I told her to forgive you for leaving. She always said she would.

Good-bye, my love.

Forever yours,

Max

_The pain was too much to bear. I couldn't accept the fact that on this day, ten years ago, ten years away from the day that she was supposed to meet me, she was breathing her last._

_My heart was breaking. Out of my pain, I ran over to the edge of the cliff and dropped, my wings tucked in._

_As I fell, I looked up at the endless blue sky and smiled. It was tinged with pink and red and gold from the setting sun. It was amazing to think that somewhere up there, Max was flying._

_And soon, I would join her. _

_For eternity._


	2. Waking Up Pt 1

**Hello, my faithful fans! I got an awesome review (Thank you, Rachael Max Rhodes!) and I just **_**had **_**to update! Lookie! I kidnapped Fang!**

**Fang: Why am I here?**

**Me: Because you're just soooooo awesomeness!**

**Fang: O-kay. This is a little weird, even for me.**

**Me: **_**And I want a moment to be real. /Wanna touch things/ I don't feel. /Wanna hold on/ And feel/ I belong! / And how/ Can you say I never change? /They're the ones that stay the same. /They don't know me. /'Cause I'm not here!**_** Oops! Was I singing along to your theme song, Fang? **

**Fang: Yes. Yes you were.**

**Me: Oh! Silly me! For those of you who are curious, my theme song for little Fangy here is "I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)" by John Rzeznik. Look it up. It's a good song.**

**Fang: Ahem. *Coughs meaningfully***

**Me: Oh! Right! Disclaimer: I am not James Patterson, and therefore do not own MR. (No matter how much I wish it was so.) Nor do I own any of the characters. Unless directly stated, they belong to the Great and Mighty JP. **

Chapter 2: Waking Up Part 1

MPOV

My eyes snapped open. I sat bolt-upright in my bed, cataloging tears and sweat that intermixed on my face and body.

I put my head against my knees and cried. It had been that dream again.

If any of you have no clue what I'm talking about, here's a tip for ya': Read the books. If I'm gonna take the time to write all of my adventures, mishaps, and dramas down, the least you could do for me is read it. Just as a favor to yours featherly.

For those of you who _do_ know what I'm talking about, I'm just gonna assume that you know what happened to me last month.

And yes, I'm talking about He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. No, not Voldemort. My ex-boyfriend/ ex-best friend/ ex-second-in-command/ ex-right-wing man.

I hate him.

I love him.

*Sigh* My life is such a soap-opera, isn't it?

Now, let me explain a few things that you probably _don't_ know.

I haven't left my room in three weeks because I've been so freakin' depressed. I haven't eaten or drank anything. Frankly, I'm still surprised that I'm alive. But maybe the flock has been giving me stuff when I'm asleep. I have no idea, really.

Dylan, the newest and youngest member of our little flock, hasn't spoken to me since his little suicide attempt a while ago. (Hallelujah!)

Angel hasn't tried to take over the flock since she kicked me out. She's basically returned to her normal, pre-kidnapping self. (Although, she still does have her freakish mind-control/ mind-reading powers that creep the living (insert swear word here) out of me.)

Iggy has taken He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named's place, since I've been as depressed as a popped balloon lately. But he's not like Him. Iggy never will be. Iggy is Iggy. Not Him. (I've decided to call He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named "Him" or "He" because it's significantly shorter and easier to say.)

And there's one other thing that _nobody_ on the face of the planet besides He and I know.

But that is a secret that I'll have to tell you later, when I don't feel like ripping my heart out whenever I remember Him.

*Sigh* But I digress.

I heard someone come into my room. I knew who it was without even looking.

"Max?" Iggy's voice said softly.

I continued to sob as Iggy sat next to me and wrapped one arm around my shoulder.

"Was it the nightmare again?" he asked.

I nodded. I had had this dream every night since He left. Sometimes more than once a night. The most I'd had it was the first night, when I dreamed it _seven times._ I don't think I'd slept at all that night.

"You know, if you want to talk, I'm here."

I shrugged, maintaining my quota of silence. I hadn't said a word since the night He left.

Iggy sighed. "Being silent isn't good for you, Max. You need to talk about stuff like this. Or else you'll blow up, like a volcano. And the last thing we need is for you to go suicide like Dylan."

I actually smiled a little bit. It wasn't much, just a ghost. A whisper. But it was the closest I'd come in three weeks.

He squeezed my shoulder. "You'll be fine. Now get some sleep."

I nodded, crept back under the covers, and closed my eyes.

I fell asleep soundly, much like I did before He left.

**Love it? Hate it? R&R!**

**Fang: Please! She gets incredibly cranky when she doesn't get her reviews! And she's having a really good day! Don't kill her buzz! (Unless you are her annoying little brother.)**

**Me: *Bambi eyes* Please? For the starving kids in Africa! And you get free cookies!**


	3. Waking Up Pt 2

Chapter 3: Waking Up Part 2

FPOV

My breath came out in erratic gasps as I woke up from the God awful dream that was mine.

I put my head in my hands and shook my head, taking note of the sweat that coated my face and body.

I glanced at my clock. It was two in the morning.

I sighed.

Three weeks. It had been three weeks since I'd left the love of my life, my Maximum. My angel.

It was almost too much to bear, considering what had gone down the night before I'd left.

But more about that later. It hurts too much to talk about Her. (Because I can't say Max's name without it opening up a portal of memories, hurt, and love, I've decided to call Max Her or She.)

I stood and walked over to the window of my hotel room. I was currently located in Dublin, Ireland. I was working on destroying Schools and Itex plants. Also locating mutants that had potential. That was my mission. Much like Her's was to save the world.

My job was to locate mutants and hybrids and Gen. 77's for Her army.

Or, at least, that was what I'd been told.

_You can always believe me, Fang. I would never lie to you._

Wonderful. The Voice (much like the one She has, though twice as annoying) was back. I hadn't heard from it since I'd destroyed the School in Threadgill-on-Thames four days ago.

And I bet you're _all _wondering, "When did _you_ get a Voice inside your head, Fang?"

Oh, I bought it last week at Target! Or was it Wal-Mart?

Note the sarcasm, people! You all know that those of us from the flock have sarcasm as one of our in-born senses.

My true answer: Right about when we arrived in Hawaii to rescue Her mom, Dr. Valencia Martinez, who was one of the nicest people I'd ever met. The first thing it told me was that I had to get close to Her.

And I told it, _No (insert swear word here)!_

And I didn't date Her just because the Voice had told me to. I did because I really, truly loved Her.

_But I don't know who you are_, I told the Voice. _So why should I trust you right away?_

From the little I knew about the Voice, it never really showed emotion. So I must have been hearing things (ha-ha) when I heard the Voice sigh impatiently.

_Fang, you can trust me. Didn't Max tell you that her voice never lied to her? I am a personal friend of the one who does her Voice, and I am quite like them in personality. Voices are the ones you should trust more than anyone. They tell you where to go and what to do when you get there. We help you to complete your destiny. And I have agreed to help you with yours._

That had to be the longest speech I'd ever heard the Voice make. Like me, it usually replied with one-word sentences and answers. Not that it usually answered my questions. Like Her's, it was coy with information, and liked to dangle things in front of me to get me to work.

This led me to assume that it was female, since girls apparently like to do that to me.

I sighed. _All right, Voice. Whatever you say. Anything else you would like to add before I collapse from exhaustion?_

There was silence for a moment before the Voice added, _Remember the last person who came to save the world. They died for the ones they came to save._

Which meant… what?


	4. The Return of Dylan

**Hello kiddies! It's nice to be back! Note of explanation: My mamma don't know I got this here account, so, thus, whence she is not working on the weekends (Friday-Sunday) I shall not be able to update on my stories. So just chill. I'm going to do several chapters per day 'cause school starts next week. I should be done with Part **_**uno **_** by Thursday. **

**And I'd like to thank all of you who have so kindly reviewed! It does my heart good to know that people like my stories!**

**On with the story!**

Chapter 4: The Return of Dylan

MPOV

The next morning, I actually left my room for the first time.

I know. Shocking, right?

As I made my way down the stairs, my knees felt weak from lack of use. I felt almost… seasick, I guess you could call it.

When I entered the kitchen, breakfast was already underway and all the bird kids were digging into their plates stacked high with eggs, bacon, and toast.

Angel was the first to notice me, being the little mind reader that she was.

"Max!" she half-shrieked.

I attempted a smile again, but failed miserably. She ran over and hugged me hard.

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad you've come out of your room! We've missed you so much! And we know that it's going to be hard for you at first, but you'll be okay!"

_Because…_ I thought at her. There was no way I was trusting my voice right now. Not until I'd fully recovered. (Physically. The emotional pain was too much to bear at any rate.)

She smiled knowingly. "Because Dylan is here!"

I frowned and a growl resonated at the back of my throat.

You know that saying, _Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear?_ Well, it now officially applied to me because who should walk in but Mr. Perfect himself!

Dylan looked as good as ever. His skin was possibly more tan that usual and his hair was still thrown casually over his forehead. He was still taller than any of us. And his eyes were bluer than I'd ever seen them.

If you want a good mental image of him, just think of Justin Bieber with skin and muscles like Taylor Laughtner, the height of a varsity basketball player, and eyes the color of the Caribbean Sea.

In my opinion, I thought he had absolutely _nothing_ on His dark and handsome looks.

"Hey, Max," he said in his deep, angelic voice.

I nodded my acknowledgement. _Not a word. Not a single freakin' word._

His smile faltered and he sat down at the table next to Gazzy, who was probably working on his latest bomb.

I fixed myself a plate and ate it as fast as I could. I had to get away as far away from Dylan as I possibly could.

Even if it meant flying to Pluto.

**Review. Review? Review! (Free cookies if you do!)**


	5. What if I Told You That You Could Go

Chapter 5: What if I Told You That You Could Go Home?

FPOV

When I woke up in the morning, my eyes were gritty.

I was just about to fall back asleep (it was still dark outside), when the Voice said, _Up and at 'em, Fang. Today, you destroy the Itex headquarters located ten miles west-southwest of Dublin._

I groaned and rolled onto my stomach. _Can't it wait?_ I thought. _Like, _after _breakfast?_

I felt a slight headache come on as the Voice said, _Now, Fang. You have a date with destiny, to put it to Max's Voice. _

I groaned again, got out of bed, and started to throw things at random into my black backpack. When that was done, I ate a couple of protein bars.

I threw on a T-shirt, and prepared to leave.

I wondered how I was even going to _destroy_ the Itex plant. I couldn't do it on my own. Unless, you know, I had some of the Gasman and Iggy's bombs.

Which I didn't.

*Sigh* Yet another thing to add to my list of regrets.

_Don't regret it, Fang, _the Voice put in. _It's all part of your destiny. You knew you had to leave. The price if you had stayed would have been too great. You cannot risk putting Max in any danger. She is the key to everything. And more._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, _I thought back snidely. _But I still have to be away from Her, don't I?_

When the Voice spoke again, my breath, heart, blood, and body froze.

_Fang, what if I told you that once you destroy this Itex, you can go home?_

**Sorry this chappie is so short! But the next one will be significantly longer! (Get ready for some hot-n-heavy Faxness flashbacks!)**

**Reviewreviewreview!**


	6. Oh My God

**Let the Faxness be unleashed!**

Chapter 6: Oh. My. God.

MPOV

The next few weeks seemed surreal to me.

Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And before I knew it, three months had passed since He had left.

It still hurt to think about Him. My heart still felt like it was being ripped open. It still felt like there was a shard of ice that would dig deeper into my chest every time I heard or saw something that reminded me of Him. Which was almost everything. I guessed that I would never get over the emotional pain. But the physical pain was slowly ebbing away.

I still hadn't spoken. But I'd eaten. It wasn't much, but at least I wasn't starving myself like before.

About three months after He'd left, I was just waking up from a relatively good-night's rest. (I still had nightmares, but they were less frequent and vivid.)

I sat up and stretched my arms out, feeling the relaxing sensation of my spine popping. _Ahhhh._ That felt better.

The early summer sun peeked through my white curtains. I allowed myself a small smile. I still hadn't gone to a full-blow smile like I used to. But I was getting there.

I glanced at the calendar that hung on the wall near my bed. It was June 13.

I looked away, and then did a double-take. _Oh (insert swear word here), _I thought.

I mentally began to count. Then again. And again. And again. I always ended up with the same number: 31.

I launched myself out of my warm bed and threw on a dark pair of skinny jeans, a white tank-top, my black-and-white Converse, and my favorite black Fox Riders jacket.

I launched myself out of the window and flew fast.

I was at the nearest CVS in a matter of minutes.

I quickly located what I was looking for. I grabbed a box, paid for it, and was out of there as fast as I could possibly go.

When I got home, I ran into the bathroom and locked myself in. I opened the box and pulled out one of the objects.

Ten minutes later, I was kneeling on the floor, staring at the object in total shock. I should've seen this coming like an on-coming freight train.

What was the object, you may ask?

It was a pregnancy test.

Plus sign meant yes, negative sign meant no.

My mouth was a perfect _O _of surprise as the little green plus sign looked up at me.

Which left me wondering: How this could have possibly happened?

Then I remembered the night before Total and Akila's wedding.

_*Flashback*_

_The flock had decided to go and get some pizza in town. They wouldn't be back for a while._

_It was just Fang and I. _

_Not the best idea, considering that we were two hormone-driven teenagers who just so happened to be dating._

_Fang and I were sitting on the couch, talking quietly. I was curled up against his side, my knees touching his leg and my head resting against his rock-hard shoulder. His arm was around my shoulders, his heat searing into my skin._

_I was wearing a pair of baggy basketball shorts that Ella had out-grown and a blue tank-top. He was wearing his usual black attire._

_The house was dark and silent around us. If it wasn't for our raptor vision, we wouldn't have been able to see a thing._

"_Are you nervous for tomorrow?" Fang asked casually._

_I shrugged. "Sort of. I'm not one for wearing a dress, as you already know."_

_He chuckled. _

_We went silent._

_After a few moments of silence, Fang leaned down and kissed my neck._

"_I don't want to lose you," he murmured. I could feel his hot breath tickle my skin, and shivered._

"_Likewise," I whispered, wondering what he meant._

_Fang moved so he could face me. He took my face in his hands and kissed me. It was so passionate and desperate, I had to gasp._

_Our kisses became more fervent and fierce as time went on._

_I shifted slightly, so I was straddling his lap. I held his face in my hands and kissed him fiercely. I wound my legs around his waist, and his hands stroked the exposed skin of my thighs. _

_I began to grind my hips into his, and I heard him let out a low moan that sounded something like, "God kill me before she does."_

_I smirked._

_I had to admit, things were getting hot and steamy by that moment._

_With me still in his arms, we made our way up the stairs._

_When we were in his room, Fang shut the door and locked it._

"_Just so we're not interrupted," he whispered softly and, I don't think he noticed it, seductively. _

_Our clothes peeled off our bodies like old paint. I saw them as unnecessary space._

_We fell heavily onto the bed, still making out._

_The night soon fell away with our gasps, groans, and moans of pleasure. _

_*End of Flashback*_

I felt tears well up in my eyes.

The child, the little unborn life that I carried within me, was His child. Our child.

I couldn't let the rest of the flock know. They would be _so _angry with me if they found out.

I just hoped that I could keep this secret long enough for me to escape.

**I'm a-gonna do the lemony version of that little flashback on my other story Flock Oneshots.**

**Love it? Hate it? Wanna do what Max and Fang did with it? Review!**


	7. A Flock of my Own

**Me: Hello, my faithful readers!**

**Fang: Yo.**

**Percy: Hey.**

**Sokka (From The Last Airbender): Hi!**

**Me: I decided to kidnap Sokka today, since I'm overly-obsessed with The Last Airbender T.V show!**

**Sokka: You promised that I would get some of that bacon stuff!**

**Me: You'll get it when I feel like it! Until that time, you are hereby tied to the chair you sit in! *ropes magically appear, tying Sokka down***

**Sokka: *struggles* Hey!**

**Me: Too bad! I kidnapped you today, so you're going to stay here.**

**Fang: *facedesk* You need to see a professional.**

**Me: Hey…! That's what my mom said! (And Iggy!)**

**Percy: Hello! We have a story to tell!**

**Me: Oh! Right! Disclaimer: I do not own MR. But I **_**do **_**own Fang's flock. They are officially **_**mine**_**. But you can PM me if you want to use them!**

**Onward with the next chappie! That way **

Chapter 7: A Flock of my Own

FPOV

It had been three months since I'd destroyed the Itex plant in Dublin. Now I was trying to do some research on the flock, to find out if they still lived in the house in Colorado.

"Faaaang!" whined seven-year-old Tiger. "Tatiana's making fun of me!"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. How did She handle stuff like this?

"I am not!" ten-year-old Tatiana, Tiger's older sister, countered with her thick Russian accent. "You're just a wuss!"

I glanced between the two. They couldn't go ten minutes without bugging each other. "Tatiana, don't tease your brother. He's the only one you have."

Tatiana pouted and crossed her arms over her skinny chest. "Fine," she muttered. She turned back to Tiger. I expected she was about to apologize. "But you're still a wuss."

This set off a new round of arguing. I groaned. Now they were wrestling.

I stood and walked over to the two siblings. I grabbed them by the back of their shirts and held them away from each other. "If you two can't get along, I'm going to feed you to those SuperErasers that have been following us around for the last three months."

That shut them up.

I breathed a sigh of relief and put them both back on the ground.

"Fang?" thirteen-year-old Panther asked in his heavy Indian-accented English. "Where are we going? Are we going to destroy another Itex?"

I actually gave him a small smile. "No. We're going to visit some old friends of mine."

His pure yellow eyes widened and his slit-like pupils grew smaller. "Really? We're gonna meet other mutants?"

I nodded. "Yep. They're pure avian, like me, Anne, and Allan."

Anne was the beta. She was an Avian-American, like me and the flock. She was actually the avian that we had discovered in the Institute in New York so long ago. Allan was the other avian we had rescued. He and Anne were twins, age fourteen.

I had gathered this flock during and after destroying the Itex in Dublin. Panther had been the first to join and Anne was the last.

They had really great powers too.

Anne could create a force-field around herself and anyone. She also could turn her skin into diamonds, so she was impervious to anything except diamonds.

Allan had mad skills when it came to _any_ sort of weapon. He could be lightning fast with swords, and had amazing aim when it came to anything you could shoot.

Panther had super-speed. He could jump as high as a five-story building. Probably higher. He also had mad tracking skills. He could sniff you out within a ten-mile radius.

Tatiana was a Gen. 77. She had an IQ somewhere in the 200's last time I'd checked. She could also build a computer out of scrap metal and aluminum foil. She had pretty good fighting skills.

Tiger was a shape-shifter. He could turn into any animal he wanted.

All of them had a little avian DNA in them, so they all had wings. This made getting around a lot easier.

Right now we were hanging out in a forest somewhere near the flock's house in the Colorado Mountains. It was late, and the stars were peering down on us.

Today it had been the three month mark since I'd left them. I was surprised that the Voice was actually telling me to do this.

_You need to be with your family, _the Voice intoned. _Both old and new. Especially the new. In fact, a new family member in on its way._

_What do you mean? _I thought at the Voice.

_You will find out soon enough. But also remember not to let your loved one go on any suicide missions._

Now I was morbidly confused. _What does _that_ mean?_

The Voice was silent.

"Fang?" came a gentle voice with a Scottish burr. "Are you all right? Is it the Voice?"

I turned and saw Anne, her big greenish-grey eyes looking at me with concern. "Yeah. The Voice just telling me to watch my back.

She smiled a little bit. "You've been very stressed lately."

I nodded. "It's just… trying to find my friends is harder than it looks. And I'm not sure… if She's gonna let me come back."

Anne nodded slowly. She was the only person I could somewhat trust. She had been the last to join us, so I was still unsure about her. And besides, the only person on the face of the planet I could ever fully trust was Her.

"All right everybody," I said loud enough for them to hear me, "get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow. I'll take the whole watch."

They all nodded and lay down in various spots.

Panther found a wide oak branch to sleep in high above the ground. He yawned, flashing his impressive canines that were an inch and a half long.

Tiger and Tatiana curled up next to each other. Sure, they didn't get along all the time, but they had a strong bond. I smiled.

Allan found a bed of dead leaves and nettles in the safe comfort of oak tree roots and fell asleep, snoring within seconds.

Anne lay down next to the fire and closed her eyes. Minutes later, she was asleep.

I leaned against a huge Douglas fir, putting my hands behind my head, and frowned.

My flock was my family. But it wasn't the same as being with the original flock. With them, we had the strongest family bond you could find. With this flock, we still were a family, but not as close as the other flock.

Don't get me wrong, we were still close.

I couldn't help but smile when I thought of seeing Her tomorrow.

If She beat me to a pulp, it would be okay. I deserved it.

If She forgave me and took me back, it would be amazing. I would get to hold Her and kiss Her soft, full lips once again.

But the worst thing that could happen would be if She didn't talk to me. Ignored me.

The absolute worst thing that could happen would be that She committed suicide because She was so miserable.

Chances were more for the beating me to a pulp and then ignoring me for a while. Then, when She was done with that, She would take me back.

Why, I have no idea. But that was just how She worked. She never gave you what you expected. She was unpredictable. But that made me love Her more.

An hour later, I heard the soft sound of a twig crack and leaves skimming across stones.

I sat straighter, my eyes carefully scanning the area around us.

My flock still slept soundly in their various spots.

The sounds of rocks skittering underfoot.

I crouched in a defensive position and growled.

The noise of soft breathing, like a deer trying hard not to attract a wolf.

I stood, puffing my chest out, making myself look even bigger. "Who's there?" I called out.

The thing was right behind me.

In the next second, I launched at it, grabbing it, and tackled it to the ground. There was the sound of crying.

I shot to my feet.

In the bright moonlight, I could see the small figure of a girl.

I lowered my defenses. She had to be about four years old.

She sat up, cowering in the knarled roots of a willow. She had big eyes that were the colors of the earth. The edges were a deep blue, like the sea. The middle of the irises were emerald green, like the forests. And right next to the pupil, they were dark brown, like the rich earth of a field.

She had curly blondish-brown hair that was matted with leaves and twigs. Her skin was pale from exhaustion and lack of sunlight. She was wearing a white nightgown that was torn in many places. Blood dripped from cuts on her cheeks and arms and forehead.

My heart felt heavy. She looked almost exactly like Max did when we were four-years-old, living at the God awful School.

Her big eyes were filled with fear and tears. I had scared her.

"Hey," I said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to hurt you."

Her fear seemed to lessen. She still whimpered.

I pulled a protein bar from my pocket and unwrapped it. "Here," I said soothingly, "eat this. It'll help."

The girl slowly, cautiously, crawled towards me.

"That's it," I whispered. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

When she was close enough, she reached out a small, meaty hand and took the chocolate-flavored bar from me.

She took a bite, chewed slowly, as if deciding whether or not it was edible. When she had determined it to be good or not, she ate the rest of it quickly.

When she finished it, she looked up at me, as if asking for more food.

I gave her a small smile, fished a couple of PopTarts from Tatiana's pack (she stashes candy in her bag. I have no idea where she gets it from), and gave them to her.

She wolfed them down.

I handed her a bottle of water, and she drained it in about thirty seconds.

"What's your name?" I asked when she had finished.

"Haley," she said in a soft, little girl voice.

I smiled. "That's a good name. Did your parents name you that?"

Haley frowned. "I don' have parents."

I frowned as well. "Really? I don't either. None of us do," I said, gesturing to my sleeping flock.

Her big eyes only got bigger. "Oh."

That was when I saw her wings. They were goofy little things, like Angel's had been. They were white, with a mother-of-pearl-like sheen. They were beautiful. "You're an Avian-American too," I observed.

She cocked her head and frowned. "A wha'?"

I smiled knowingly. "You're half-bird. Like the rest of us. Except for Panther. He's one-third panther."

Haley nodded. "Oh. Can I see your wings?"

I nodded. "Sure you can."

I rolled my shoulders and let my wings unfold. _Ahhhh._ That felt better.

I have to admit, my wings kick butt. They're fourteen feet across and pure black. The flock always said that I looked like the Angel of Death.

Haley smiled. "Your wings big! Do mine got to be like that, too?"

I had to smile. "When you're older, your wings will get bigger."

She frowned. "I wish _I _had wings like that! I wish I could fly!"

"You'll be able to fly too. I can teach you, if you would like that."

She smiled a big smile. "You will?"

I nodded. "Sure. I helped teach these guys how to fly and a few others too. I can teach you."

Haley jumped up and down in excitement. "Yesyesyes! I would love that!"

I actually smiled. "Okay then. We'll start tomorrow."

Haley smiled and lay down next to the fire. She closed her eyes and was asleep in moments.

**Love it? Hate it? Think it's a too OOC for Fang? Reviewreviewreview! Free cookies if you do! If you don't, Fidget the Zombie Chinchilla will get serious.**

**Fidget: **_**Grrrrrrrrrr…!**_

**Me: And you don't want that. Nor do I want that. So review!**

**-A$h **


	8. New Power

**Hello again!**

**This is a lot of fun, updating stories! I receive great joy from it! And your amazing reviews!**

**Percy: Who did you kidnap now?**

**Me: *giggles* Voldemort!**

**Voldemort (let's call him Voldie!): Why am I here?**

**Me: Because you are an evil villain and everyone hates you!**

**Voldie: No they do not! They worship me!**

**Me: *snorts* Get a life.**

**Percy and Fang: *bursts out laughing***

**Voldie: …o.o...**

**Me: If anyone's curious about that little bit, check out my profile! (50 Things I'm Not Allowed to do at Hogwarts!)**

**Now, to answer some reviews!**

**ObsessiveReader1223: All shall be revealed. But, no. Haley is not Max's unknown daughter. Fang was simply comparing her to Max when she was that age and living at the School. fangsgrl33: It's going to be a surprise. Awesomeness is Essential: Thank you very much! It makes me feel good to know that people like my writing! **

Chapter 8: New Power

MPOV

The next morning, I tried my hardest to avoid thinking about the baby, but I couldn't help it.

"Max," Angel said, "can I talk to you?"

I nodded, stood, and walked with her to the deck.  
"OMG!" she squealed. "I can't believe you're pregnant! This is so cool!"

I gave her a tiny, tiny smile. _I guess. Unless you're the one who's pregnant. I have to deal with the morning sickness and the mood swings for the next six months._

She looked up at me hopefully. "Are you gonna tell me who the dad is?" Her oh-too-innocent tone made me pause.

Making sure my head was entirely clear of memories from that night and of Him, I thought, _Fang._

She held her hand to her mouth and stifled a gasp. "When did you…?"

I felt my hand flit protectively in front of my womb. _The night before Total and Akila's wedding. When you guys went out for pizza._

Her blue eyes were wide. "Oh. My. Gosh. That explains why you guys had mind blocks up! I thought you had watched a scary movie you didn't want me to see or something. I wasn't expecting that!"

I shrugged.

Suddenly, my whole body was on fire. I grasped my head, as if trying to keep it from splattering all over poor Angel. I fell to my knees.

"MAX!" Angel shrieked.

I couldn't hear anymore. It was like those blinding grenade-type headaches that I used to get when the Voice first appeared in my head.

When I woke up again, I was lying on the deck hammock. Angel and the rest of the flock were hovering over me, looking worried and frightened.

"Are you okay?" Wonder Boy asked in an oh-too-innocent concerned tone.

I snarled at him. I still wouldn't talk. He backed off.

I sat up, holding my head with one hand. It was throbbing, but it wasn't bad.

_Max, _the Voice whispered, _look at the door._

I looked up at the sliding-glass door that led to the deck. It was open, but when I looked at it, it closed.

No one was standing anywhere near it.

The flock followed my gaze and saw the door. Their eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Whoa!" Gazzy exclaimed. "You're telekinetic!"

I gave him a confused look.

He smiled bashfully. "You can control any object with you mind!"

I grinned. My first toothy smile in three months.

There was a loud thud from the front yard.

"OW! TIGER!" a girl's heavily accented voice yelled.

I stood and we all jumped onto the roof.

When we could see the front yard, I stifled a gasp.

There was a group of seven (count em', _seven_) kids with wings in the front yard.

And one of them, the largest, had pure-black wings. Against the blue sky, he looked like a shadow come to life. The Angel of Death.

_Fang._

**Soooooooooooo sorry about the cliffie! I'll update soon!**

**Dun dun dun! Fang has returned! What shall goeth on? Will Max take him back? Will she tell him about her… situation? What will the old flock think of the new flock? All will be revealed!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	9. Welcome Back Sort of

**Hi!**

**Just gonna get right on with the story!**

Chapter 9: Welcome Back! – Sort of

FPOV

When the flock was awake the next morning, the first thing I did was introduce them to Haley.

They were really happy to have a new member to the flock, and welcomed her with open arms. Especially Panther, who just has a way with kids. Don't ask me how he does it, given his really creepy but way cool eyes.

"Okay guys," I announced when we had finished breakfast, "today we head out for our destination, not ten miles from here. It should take us about five minutes to get there."

Haley looked up at me. "Wha' 'bout me? I can't fly."

I looked at her and thought for a moment. "I'll carry you. I can teach you to fly when we get there."

She beamed.

We packed up camp in five minutes tops and were flying through the air in three.

I carried Haley in my arms. She lighter than Angel, but heavier than Total. I had no problem holding on to her as we flew at 160 miles per hour north-northwest, towards the flock's current abode.

During the flight, Tatiana and Tiger started to argue about why wings are better than gills. This turned into an all-out brawl between the brother and sister when the flock's house came into view.

About thirty feet from the ground, Tiger slammed into Tatiana, causing her to plummet and land hard in the front yard.

"OW! TIGER!" she shouted.

I sighed and shook my head.

Haley looked innocently at me. "Do dey always does dat?"

I smiled ruefully and nodded. "Yeah."

That was when I heard gasps of shock.

I looked at the roof and saw the whole flock.

Nudge and Angel looked like they were about to start crying. Gazzy looked stone-cold. Iggy was stoic. Dylan had a look of absolute fury and hatred. And Max… didn't look anything.

_Oh, God, _I thought.

I coasted to a landing on the front yard and set Haley down on the ground.

I looked around at my surroundings, keeping on high alert.

Tatiana and Tiger weren't anywhere near each other, and weren't arguing. Panther was looking up at the original flock anxiously. Anne was watching me carefully. Allan was keeping one hand on his holster, waiting to see if any threats popped out at us.

That was when the OF (original flock) came down off the roof and eyed us carefully.

Finally, Angel broke the silence. "Fang!"

She came running at me and threw herself into my arms. "I missed you," she mumbled.

I gave her a small smile, "I missed you too, Ange."

She looked up at me and gave me a knowing smile. She backed away just as Nudge and Gazzy hugged me.

"Hey, guys," I said quietly.

They backed away as Iggy walked over. I felt nervous.

"I don't know why you think it's okay to come back after what you did to our flock," he said, his face emotionless. Then a small smile crept across his lips. "But I'm glad you're back."

I grinned as we shook hands and clapped each other on the back in greeting.

Dylan nodded at me in acknowledgement. I nodded back coldly.

Then I looked at Max.

Her face was like how I remembered it. But there were differences. There were dark circles under her eyes, evidence of sleepless nights, much like myself. Her hair wasn't as full as I remembered it. It was limp and didn't shine as much. Her eyes were lifeless. Not the same chocolate-brown pools that would drown me in their intense gaze. She was skinnier. Too skinny. She hadn't been eating. Her skin didn't glow. It was dull.

And _I _had done this to her. It was _me_ that had caused it. I felt guilty all over again.

"Max," I whispered, moving closer to the only girl that I could ever love.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Her mouth opened like she wanted to say something. She shut it, like she had thought better of it. Without a word of greeting, she turned and ran into the house.

Angel looked sadly at me. "She hasn't said a word since you left, so it's not like she hates you or anything. She's just upset. I mean, after what she found out yesterday…" She stopped. She must've been telepathically communicating with Max.

Angel's heart-shaped face had a look of confusion. Then her face softened.

I glanced at Anne and nodded. She gave me a tiny nod in return. It would be her job to watch the flock while I went and talked to Max.

And I hoped, even though it was naïve to do so, that she would at least punch my lights out.

Because that would mean she at least knew I existed.

**So what did you think? Reviewreviewreview! Free cookies if you do! *strokes Fidget the Zombie Chinchilla* This if you do not. **

**Dylan: Why am I here?**

**Me: *grins evilly* For this! **

***Fidget eats Dylan's face***

**Me: Yay! I killed Dylan!**

**Max: Hallelujah! **

**Fang: *smirks***

***flock cheers happily***

**Fly on,**

**A$h**


	10. Too Much for One Day

**Me: Helllooooooo! It's nice to be back!**

**Percy/ Fang: What's up in the OC? (Orange County, for those of you who don't know.)**

**Me: …0.o…**

**Fang: Who did you kidnap this time?**

**Me: I kidnapped Maxi-poo for you!**

**Fang: MAX!**

**Max: FANG!**

***Max and Fang start making out***

**Me/Percy: … . …**

**Me: And I kidnapped Annabeth for you, Percy!**

**Percy: ANNABETH!**

**Annabeth: PERCY!**

***Annabeth and Percy start making out***

**Me: *facedesk* This isn't working out like I thought it would.**

**This chapter is dedicated to:**

**Diana-Bo-Banna, fangsgrl33, and FangLovesYou (Max: VOLDEMORT KILLED FANG!).**

**Onward with the story!**

Chapter 10: Too Much for One Day

MPOV

When Fang looked at me, hope filling his gaze, I felt my heart begin to break all over again.

This was just not my week.

First, he leaves me three months ago for places unknown for a mission that I do not fully understand with motives that are still vague.

Second, I find out that I am pregnant with his child. Pregnancy + Max - Fang = Six more months of morning sickness and mood swings without anyone but a brotherly figure to comfort me. Which, as I've hoped you've figured out by now, sucks.

Three, Angel finds out about my pregnancy and possibly tells Nudge.

And four, Fang finds the guts to physically _come back_.

I ran up the stairs and into my room. Using my new-found power, I shut and locked the door.

I leaned up against the opposite wall and slowly fell onto the carpeted floor.

Tears ran down my cheeks, sobs racked my body. I hugged my legs to my chest and put my face against my knees. Your typical heart-broken position that you see in all those sappy lovey-dovey movies. *Blanches*

There was a soft tap on my door. "Max," Fang's voice said, "can I come in?"

I didn't reply. I just glared at the door. Like if I stared hard enough, I would burn a hole through it and disintegrate him.

But it didn't.

*Sigh* But a girl can dream.

"Please, Max," he called. "Let me in. I just want to talk to you."

Still sobbing, I shouted, using my voice for the first time in months, "Go away!"

My breath hitched. My voice was rusty and hoarse from lack of use. Like a nail scraping across a chalkboard.

And, of course, Fang found a way to pick the lock on my door.

When he walked in, saw me curled up against the wall, sobbing, his onyx eyes filled with grief.

"Max," he murmured softly, kneeling down in front of me. He reached out with his big, rough, calloused hand and caressed my cheek. He wiped away my tears, but more returned to take their place.

I stared coldly at him. "Why are you here?" I asked, my voice getting stronger.

His face was sad. But then again, Fang never showed his true emotions to anyone. Except me. I could read him like an open book. "There's so much that I need to tell you. So much I need to explain."

My head bowed. "Do you know what you did to me?"

"I can see it in your eyes. You're lifeless. In pain. Like me."

I looked up at him, angry. "I didn't come out of my room for three _weeks_! I didn't eat or drink anything during that time! I haven't spoken since you left! I was heart-broken, Fang! I couldn't say your name without it hurting! Even think it! And now…" My voice broke. I didn't want him to find out about our baby just yet. Though I knew I didn't have that much time. I had seen the bump that protruded from in between my hips this morning. Had felt something kick.

"Max," Fang said again, "I've been having nightmares about you dying. I didn't want to leave you, but I had to protect you. The flock. It wasn't my conscious that gave me the idea. It was Dylan. And the Voice."

I looked up at him, confused. "You have a Voice?"

He rubbed the back of his neck the way he did when he was embarrassed. "Yeah. I got it when we went to rescue your mom in Hawaii. Been giving me a hard time ever since."

I chuckled. "They're pains in the (insert swear word here) aren't they?"

Fang nodded, a half-smile quirked his lips. The one that I loved so darn much. It touched his eyes in a way that made my heart lift and thud faster.

Then I noticed the ice was gone. The shard of ice that had been stabbing deeper into my chest, ripping a hole through my very being, was gone. The wound had begun to heal.

There was a moment of silence, which allowed me to digest this information.

Suddenly, Fang reached out and pulled me t o his muscular, rock-hard chest. "I missed you. I'm so, so sorry for leaving."

I put my arms around him. "Fang," I whispered, "we have a lot that we need to talk about."

He pulled away, looking confused. Oh, God, he looked so cute like that. "What do you mean?"

I sighed and lowered my arms. "Fang, I don't want to have a repeat of last time. Whatever feelings we have for each other we need to keep strictly professional."

He avoided my gaze, thought for a moment, then nodded. "Any rules that I should know about?"

I stared seriously at him. "First, we are not allowed to display any form of affection, whether public or private. Second, we can't touch each other like we did before you left."

Fang winced, like the memory was painful.

"Thirdly," I continued, "we have to pretend like whatever happened before didn't. And lastly, we can't let Angel hear any of our thoughts about each other."

He nodded, silent as ever.

Then he stood and walked out of my room, his pace stiff and cold.

_Oh, God, _I thought mournfully. _What have I done?_

**Love it? Hate it? Wanna use Fidget the Zombie Chinchilla to eat it? Reviewreviewreview! Free cookies if you do! **

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	11. Haley Has a Power!

**This chappie is real short. But don't worry! I'm already updating the next one!**

Chapter 11: Haley Has a Power?

FPOV

I walked with a stiff coldness when I left Max's room.

It was enough to break my heart when I saw her crying. She was broken and delicate, like a porcelain doll a bratty girl had smashed against the floor.

But she was right. We couldn't have a repeat of the last time we were together. It would be disastrous.

Angel was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"You should be happy," she said, reading my mind.

"Why?" I asked with quiet coldness. "What do have that I should be happy for? She's pushing me away. Breaking my heart."

Angel looked sympathetic. "She's just doing it for the best. You know what she would say if she heard you say that. The safety of the flock comes first. And she's not pushing you away because she wants to. It's because she has to."

"I know that!" I snarled.

Angel cringed at my tone.

"I know that," I repeated, my voice softer.

"That's not what I meant you know," she said. "I meant that you should be happy because you got her to speak for the first time in three months."

I smiled. "Well, it's a start."

Haley came waddling over to me. "Fang," she said, pulling on my jacket sleeve, "can you teach me how to fly now?"

I gave her a grin. "Sure."

She grinned and squealed happily. She ran towards the front door.

"Wait! Haley!" I called. She wasn't going to open the door. "You have to—"

That was when she went _through_ the door. Like a ghost.

"Did you…?" I asked Angel, my voice fading.

She nodded, looking pale and grim. "It looks like little Haley has a power of her own."

**Reviewreviewreview!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	12. New Bird Kids and LOVE

**I like this chappie! It's funny! (And Iggy sings!)**

Chapter 12: New (Bird) Kids on the Block and L-O-V-E

MPOV

When the last of my tears had dissipated a few minutes later, I went outside and saw that Fang's and mine flocks were all in the front yard.

"Hey, Max!" Dylan called.

I ignored him. The sap.

"Max," Fang said, "I'd like you to meet my flock."

He pointed to the oldest girl. She had red hair (Grrrrr…) and bright greenish-grey eyes. Freckles were splattered across her nose. She was pale and thin. I assumed she was Irish or Scottish or something like that. "This is Anne, my second-in-command."

I nodded. "Hey. I'm Max. It's short for Maximum Ride."

She scrutinized me. Not in a critical way, more like she was… curious. "So you're the infamous Maximum Ride. I've heard a lot about you." Her voice had a heavy Scottish burr.

I smiled a little bit "I guess you could say that."

Fang pointed to a boy with a gun holster at his side. He looked like a male version of Anne. His hair was spiked. I assumed he gelled it. "This is Allan, he's Anne's twin brother."

I smiled at Allan. "It's nice to meet you."

He gave me a wide smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle."

Allan took my hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed it. I blushed. Even though he had the same rough accent as Anne, his French was impeccable. I almost thought I heard Fang growl when Allan kissed my hand.

Fang pointed to the dark-skinned boy with the bright, literally yellow eyes. Like a panther's. "This is Panther. He's one-third panther"

I grinned at Panther. "How redundant."

He gave me a smile. He had predator's teeth. He said with a heavy Indian accent, "Fang has told me much about you."

I glanced at Fang and raised my eyebrows. "Really?" Fang looked away.

Everyone laughed.

Fang pointed to a girl with dark hair that was cut short. Like the Russian chick from "Indian Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Only younger. She had dark, penetrating eyes. Her skin was pale and flawless. "This is Tatiana. She's a Generation 77."

She gave me a pure-white smile. "Hello, Maximum," she said in a thick Russian accent.

"Hey," I replied.

Fang pointed to the youngest boy. "This is Tiger. He's Tatiana's little brother."

Tiger wasn't an exact replica of his older sister, but they did look alike. He had the same dark hair and eyes and pale skin. Only his eyes were a dark blue and his hair a deep auburn. "Hi!" he said. He also had the same accent as Tatiana.

I smiled. "Hi."

Then Fang pointed to the youngest girl. "And this is Haley. The newest member to our flock."

I smiled at the girl. She appeared to be in the four-range. She looked like a mini version of yours featherly. Except for her eyes. They were three different colors. The rim was blue, the middle green, and near the pupil it was light brown. "Hiya!"

"Hi," I replied as kindly as I could.

She looked up at me with big, bright eyes. "Are you Fang's friend? He said that we were coming to visit friends."

I gave her a patronizing smile. "Hm… I didn't know that! But yes, I am his friend."

"Define 'friend,'" I heard Iggy mutter from behind me.

Both Fang and I glared daggers at him, but it was one of those instances when things are lost on Iggy's blindness.

*Sigh*

Iggy grinned his evil grin.

"Iggy," Fang warned him.

Then Iggy began to sing: "_L, is for the way you look at me! (If only I could see that!) O, is for the only one I see! (If I could see!) V, is very, very, extraordinary! (Because we have wings!) And I don't know the rest of this song!_"

We all started to crack up. Iggy did a perfect imitation of the artist who sang it. I think it was Frank Sinatra.

"All right," I said, trying to swallow down my laughter. "Let's get to work. We have to teach you newbies the basic bird kid skills."

I swear my flock started to grin almost as evilly as Iggy.

**Hahahahaha! Poor Max and Fang, getting tortured by Iggy! (But I think it's really funny!) Reviewreviewreview! (Free cookies if you do!)**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	13. Bird Kid Basics 101

**If any of you are wondering where I got the idea for Haley's eyes, mine are like that. I based her looks off of myself when I was her age. (Though I still have curly hair and multi-colored eyes. Everybody in school insists that they look freakin' awesome.)**

**Onward with the next chappie!**

Chapter 13: Bird Kid Basics 101

FPOV

When Max said something like that, you expected to end the day with a few broken bones, bruises, and bloody noses.

Since I had already gone through BKB 101 (Bird Kid Basics 101) as we like to call it, I got to help Max and the OF teach my flock.

"All right," Max said when they had settled down, "since most of you already know how to fly, Haley will be learning from Nudge." She nodded to Nudge, who looked thrilled at the idea of teaching someone to fly.

"Come on Haley," Nudge said, standing up. "It's time you were taught the trade of bird kids!"

Haley beamed and ran off after Nudge, both girls babbling excitedly.

Max smiled and turned to the leftover flock. "How many of you know how to fight?"

No one raised their hands. Those of us who all ready knew how to kept the silence.

She raised an eyebrow. I tried hard not to think about what had happened that night before the wedding, as I had a mind reader to worry about.

"Really?" she asked. "None of you guys know how to fight?"

Max sighed. "All right. Looks like we'll have to start from square one." She looked over at me. "Fang?"

_Crap, _I thought, trying to keep the swearing to a minimum. I was Max's favorite battle victim.

I stood and walked until I was about six feet in front of her. "Now," she continued, "Fang, since he did _not_ teach you how to fight yet, will be an example of what happens when you get your butt kicked."

She faced me and crouched in a defensive position. She nodded at Angel.

"One," she called in her little-girl voice. "Two. Three!"

I snarled and launched myself at Max.

But, like always, she was ready for me.

"Lesson one!" she shouted as she launched into the air and sailed clear over my head. She grabbed the back of my neck in that pressure point that brings me to my knees. "Never strike first. This shows that you are over-confident and are likely to lose."

Max's grip loosened ever-so-slightly, and I shot to my feet. I aimed a round-house kick at her mid-section.

That was when I saw the true, genuine fear in her eyes. I could tell the adrenaline was dumping into her bloodstream because she got that sharpened, focused look to her eyes.

Her hands shot out and caught my foot. I struggled to regain my balance. She twisted my leg around so I was facing the opposite direction.

That was when I lost my balance and fell flat on my face.

Now the gloves were off.

Looking like I was struggling to get to my feet, Max ignored me and faced the others.

"Another thing: Never let your enemy see your weakness. Never do the same thing twice. This makes you easier to beat."

Then I did a flip, landing on my feet and shot at Max again.

Apparently, she hadn't seen that trick coming. I tackled her, grabbing her waist.

More out of shock than the force of the impact, she fell to the ground.

She growled and kneed me in the stomach.

My breath left my lungs in an audible _whoosh!_

She shoved me off of her and stood with whatever dignity she had left, which was actually more than what she had started with. "And never, _ever _let your guard down. Ever. Use every dirty trick you know. Never back down." She smiled. "Unless running away seems like a better option."

Those of us who were of the original flock whom Jeb had taught started to laugh. That was something Jeb had always added.

When that had subsided, Max added in a serious tone, "And never forget to ignore the pain. If you are shocked by the pain, you just lost. If you ever need to, recite this is your head, 'Pain is a message. And you can ignore the message.' Everybody got that?"

They nodded. Allan was smirking, obviously amused by the fact that I just got my butt handed to me by a girl.

"Good," she said. "And that's basically all you need to know."

Their eyes widened. "Really?" Anne asked. "That's everything?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Class dismissed."

Both flocks drifted away, whether into the house or to the cliff behind the house to practice flying.

I started to walk away, but Max called, "Fang, I need to have a word with you in private."

That was when I started to feel scared. I turned and saw Max looking at me in a way that made me pause.

What was going on? Didn't she just tell me that—

"Fang," she said, "Iggy told me about you being the leader when we split up the first time. From what it sounds like, you need some extra training."

I cocked my head to the side, but said nothing.

"I need to teach you how to be a real leader."

**Ohhhhhhh! What's gonna happen? Review please! Free cookies for those of you who do!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	14. Learning to Lead

**This is the last chapter of Part 1! I finished it sooner than I expected! Next up, Part **_**dos**_**! It's called, "Mutant Call."**

Chapter 14: Learning to Lead

FPOV

Max motioned with her head to the woods. She started to walk away, and I followed her.

When I fell into step with her, she began, "Fang, there is still a lot you don't know about being a leader. That's why I need to teach you everything I know about leading."

She looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes.

"Being a leader," she continued, "is knowing when to lead and when to be led. Being strong. Never giving up. It's about being the one that can make even the darkest situations seem better.

"You have to be able to pull a plan out of thin air. If you don't have one, let it come to you."

That was when we came to a small river.

We stopped and found a spot near the banks that had a group of large rocks to sit on. Max took one of the higher ones that reached out and overlapped mine.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

She gave me a sad smile. "I don't want you to fail your flock like I did mine. I'm trying to make that better now, but it's been a rough journey." She gazed off into the forest like she was remembering something.

Suddenly, her hand flitted to her stomach. She sucked in a breath so fast it was almost a whistle.

"What?" I asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Max shook her head and drew away her hand. "Nothing. It's nothing."

Her tone wasn't convincing. But I shook it off. She probably just had a stomach bug or something.

There were many minutes of silence.

"Fang?" she asked in a small voice.

I looked up at her.

"Can I tell you something?" Her eyes were closed and her hand was at her stomach again.

"Anything," I whispered.

She didn't open her eyes when she said, "I made a mistake."

My heart began to thud wildly in my throat. "What do you mean?"

"About what I said earlier, about us acting professional…"

"Yeah…" I urged. My biggest fear was that she and Dylan had gotten together. That maybe she had forgotten what had happened three months ago.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have said that."

My eyes widened. "The great Maximum Ride is apologizing?"

Max opened her eyes and scowled. "Yeah, I am. I made a mistake by saying that."

I shrugged. "I understand. You want to keep your flock safe. I want to do the same for mine. A lesson I learned very well from you."

She gave me a patronizing smile. "Yeah. And… other reasons."

I looked up at her and frowned. "What do you mean?"

Max avoided my gaze. "It's nothing. Never mind."

A few more moments of silence.

"So…" I said awkwardly. "We're back on track?"

She looked at me, her face serious. "We can never be back to where we once were, Fang."

Silence.

"But we can try," she whispered.

We looked at each other and a feeling passed between us. It was a look of suppressed love, grief, anger, passion, lust, and frustration.

Max was the first to look away. "But I don't want to hurt the flock like we did before."

_Fang, _the Voice whispered, _she is part of your destiny. You must gather her army, as you have done. Mutants everywhere have heard the call and are gathering. This will soon be the battle that will decide the fate of the world. It will decide the fate of Max. It will also decide the fate of another._

_Who? _I thought.

The Voice didn't answer.

"Fang!" Max's voice called distantly. "Hello? Earth to Fang! Come in Fang!"

I shook my head and blinked several times. "What?"

She was looking at me skeptically. "You zoned out for a minute."

I scowled. "Voice imparting unnecessary information. Please leave a message after the beep."

Max actually laughed. "They are annoying, aren't they?"

I nodded.

She smiled and stood. "Come on. They'll be wondering where we are."

We walked out of the woods, laughing and recalling better days.

When we were just friends and Jeb was our caretaker.

***sobs quietly* We've come so far in such a short time! I'll be updating Part 2 soon!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	15. Bringing the Flocks Together

**I'm just gonna get right on with the story! Here's Part 2 of Maximum Ride Book 7!**

Part 2: Mutant Call

Chapter 15: Bringing the Flocks Together

MPOV

After mine and Fang's talk in the woods, we walked back casually to the house.

"Do remember when we were ten?" I asked. "The day that Jeb got us out of the School?"

Fang looked at me and smiled. "Yes I remember."

I grinned. "You didn't believe that he was coming to get us. You were the most insistent that we would die there."

He half-smiled. "Yeah. I always believed he was just as evil as the next whitecoat. And I was right, wasn't I?"

I scowled. "Somewhat."

He became impassive again. "But then again, he is your dad, so I shouldn't be talking crap about him."

I giggled. Can you believe it? The great invincible Maximum Ride _giggled_!

Stupid pregnancy.

*Sigh* But at least I have someone to blame for it.

I'll give you a hint: He's standing right next to me talking to me.

That's right all you FANGirls. It's Fang, the emo bird boy himself.

When we were back at the house, Fang was instantly bombarded by Haley.

"FangFangFang!" she shouted. "I learned how to fly! Nudge is a great teacher!"

He smiled at the little girl. "Really? Can you show me?"

Haley nodded so hard I thought her head would come flying off.

She ran at the door.

"Wait!" I called, my hand reaching out.

But just before she could hit it, she literally went _through_ it. The door flew open a millisecond later because I was using my power.

I looked at Fang. "She can walk through walls?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I just found out today." Then he looked at me. "It looks like you acquired some powers of your own, too."

I replied, "Yep. I'm telekinetic. I can control things with my mind."

"What kinds of things?" he asked.

Okay, I hadn't exactly learned to harness my powers very well, but now was a great time to try!

Concentrating every ounce of my being, I willed all the doors and windows in the immediate vicinity to open and close rapidly. "All kinds of things." **(A/N: Got that from the first X-Men movie!)**

That seemed to shock Fang a little bit.

We walked outside, where Haley was patiently waiting for us. "Are you ready?" she asked in her sweet, little-girl voice that reminded me so much of Angel's when she was that age.

"Yes," Fang replied.

Haley had a look of supreme concentration on her face. She ran towards the woods, snapped out her goofy little wings, and took to the air.

She was a little bit clumsy. We all were when we started out. But she would get better as time went on.

"See?" she called down to us.

Fang and I nodded our approval. "Nudge taught you well," I commented.

Haley grinned and landed somewhat gracefully. "I'm gonna practice everyday!"

I smiled at her. "That's a promise I'm going to hold you to."

She laughed and ran back into the house.

I looked at Fang. "When did you meet her? She's such a sweet little girl!"

He blushed and looked embarrassed. "Last night. She sort of snuck up on me while I was on watch."

"Oh. Did you attack her on accident?"

He nodded.

I actually laughed. "You get so jumpy when you're on watch!"

We walked back into the house and met the worst surprise I've gotten in the last three months.

**What is it? Is it Jeb? Is it Dr. Gummy-Bear Haagen-Dazs? (LOL!) Is it Sam, the possible-traitor from Virginia? Are the flocks dead? Read on!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	16. SuperErasers

**Back again!**

**Fang: You keep forgetting!**

**Me: Oh!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

Chapter 16: SuperErasers

FPOV

When I heard Haley scream, I broke into a run.

Max and I dashed into the living room, and I saw something that I had actually come to fear.

SuperErasers.

I launched myself at the nearest one, and went into battle mode.

I kicked and punched and fought with all my strength.

After what felt like an eternity of bombs going off and cries from the younger ones, the SuperErasers lay dead on the floor.

"What _were_ those things?" Nudge asked, gasping for breath.

I scowled. "SuperErasers. They've been chasing us since I destroyed the Itex in Dublin, Ireland."

Max gave me a murderous look. "And you led them _here_?"

I held up my hands in the universal "hold your horses" gesture. "No. I didn't."

The rage was clearly evident on her face when she said, "How can I trust you? You broke your promises. There's no reason for me to believe a word you say."

I wondered what was going on. One minute she was glad that I was here and the next she was going at my throat!

"Whoa, Max!" Nudge said. "Chill! He didn't lead them here on purpose!"

She scowled. But it seemed to be directed more at herself than at anyone else.

That was when I saw the blood.

"Max!" Gazzy shouted.

Her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell to her knees, clutching her side.

Angel stared at Max in horror.

"Iggy," I said, "see how bad she is. Tatiana, get some bandages from the first aid kit in the kitchen. It should be on the counter near the sink."

She nodded and ran out of the room.

I knelt in front of Max and took her face in my hands. "Max!" I said. "Max, listen to me!"

Iggy knelt down and ordered, "Lay her on her back. Pull up her shirt a few inches so I can feel."

I obeyed without question.

Iggy's long fingers hovered over Max, feeling the cuts. "They're not too deep. They penetrated about half a centimeter into her skin. Not enough to do any real damage. Just enough to make her bleed. Wait… What's…?"

He paused. He nodded at Angel and Nudge.

"Can you all leave? I need to have a private conversation with Nudge and Angel."

I was unwilling to leave, but I had to listen. The flocks nodded almost in unison.

Just then, Tatiana came running in carrying the first aid kit.

Iggy sighed. "Fine, then. Tatiana and Anne can stay too."

Anne shot me a confused look, but I shrugged.

The rest of us left, leaving the others to their conversation.

**Did Iggy discover little Maxie's secret? R&R! **

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	17. The More the Merrier! Not!

Chapter 17: The More the Merrier! Not!

MPOV

I remember waking up to the sounds of a quiet conversation.

"Good," I hear Iggy's voice say, "you're awake."

I sat up, feeling light-headed. "Oh, no," I mumbled.

Iggy looked at me with his blind eyes. "Would you care to explain?"

I already knew what he was talking about. He had felt the bump. "It's not cancer, if that's what you're thinking."

He frowned. That was when I noticed that Nudge, Angel, Tatiana, and Anne were also in the room.

"That's not what he meant," Anne intoned.

Now it was my turn to frown. "Fine. Yes, I'm pregnant. Happy now?"

Iggy started to laugh. "That explains why you got all in Fang's face!"

"Yes," I sighed. "Stupid hormonal imbalance."

That got everyone in the room laughing.

"As if you don't PMS enough!" Iggy cackled.

I growled.

He held his hands up in surrender. "All right, you win. Angel already told me everything."

I became suddenly intrigued in my sneakers. "Oh," I said nonchalantly.

He started to grin evilly. "You looooovvveee him! You know you dooo! You love him this much!" He held out his arms really wide.

Now I was mad. "Shut up, Iggy! Before I gut you like a fish!"

He cackled, but shut up.

Anne was staring at me intently.

"What?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. Just zoning out."

"Oh."

Yeah. Like I believed that red-head.

Do I really look that stupid to you?

Something was up with her, and I was gonna find out one way or the other.


	18. The First to Arrive

**I'm on a roll! I should be done with Part 2 by lunch!**

**Claimer: I own Jacob and his pack in this story. (They are not the same as Jacob and pack in the Twilight Saga.)**

Chapter 18: The First to Arrive

FPOV

I never asked Iggy or the girls about their conversation. I had a feeling that they would tell me in good time.

For the next week, both Max's and mine flocks mingled and got to know each other better.

Clearly, a few of them had developed a sort of "special" relationship.

An example would be Nudge and Allan. They seemed to be getting along particularly well. Allan taught her how to shoot a gun and swordplay. In return, she taught him the moves we had learned from the hawks so long ago.

The Gasman was teaching Tatiana about explosives, which was a subject she seemed to enjoy. She taught him about computers. He was as good as Nudge now.

Tiger and Angel spent most of their time flying and sparring. Other than that they were trying to kick each other's butts on Need for Speed.

Even Dylan seemed to be getting something out of my visit. He and Anne often spent a lot of time mulling over maps and charts, talking in voices too low even for Iggy to hear.

Max was a different story.

She was sick a lot of the time. I had no idea why, though. She became increasingly worried and moody. One second you were getting along fine, and the next she was snapping at your throat. At moments she was jumpy. But it was random and happened a few times during the day.

Whenever she was jumpy, her hand would fly to her stomach like the day that we had talked in the forest.

I was nervous. Max had never had an illness for this long. What if something was really going wrong, and she died? Or ended up in the hospital?

But whenever I would ask, she would tell me it was nothing to worry about and would be gone soon. But I wasn't exactly reassured.

We often spent time together. She would be reading a book (usually that Percy Jackson series) and I would be blogging. Not talking. Just enjoying each other's presence.

One day, while Max was just hanging out underneath her favorite oak tree, reading _The Lightning Thief _for the millionth time, I decided to join her.

I sat next to her and glanced at her. She was really absorbed in her book.

"Is it good?" I asked, pointing to the page she was reading.

She nodded and looked at me. "Yeah. I really like it. Surprisingly, I can actually relate to this guy. Being thrown into an adventure he doesn't even want to be in. Having a parent kidnapped. Not liking who your dad is. Feeling welcome among people who are just like you are."

I grinned. "Who said poetry was dead?"

She grinned back. The light had returned to her eyes and her hair was fuller and shinier than when I had arrived. She was still skinny, but she was filling out. "Don't make fun of me."

We both laughed.

When that had subsided and the air around us was quiet, we stared into each other's eyes and listened to the sounds of the rushing river in the distance.

Her hand suddenly flew to her stomach, and she doubled-over, gasping for breath.

"Max!" I shouted. My hands automatically shot out to her.

Max gritted her teeth and looked up at me. "I'm fine. It was just some pain. It's going away already."

I frowned. "Max, you haven't been right since I got here. What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing. I know you're lying."

A horrified look crossed her face. "I'm telling you, Fang. It's nothing to be worried about. It'll be gone soon enough."

I stared at her. Something was off. There was something she wasn't telling me. "Max…" I cautioned. "What's wrong?"

This time she gave me one her deluxe death glares. "Nothing. Is. Wrong. Now leave me alone."

I released her. "All right. But I'll find out one way or another."

Max laughed darkly. "I bet you will."

Suddenly, there was the high, keening howl of a wolf. And it was coming from somewhere near the house.

Max and I exchanged looks of fear. "The flocks," she whispered.

I nodded, and we both stood and ran for the house.

When we arrived at the house, a pack of wolves, twelve in number, were in the front lawn. Max's and mine flocks were in fighting stances, getting ready to prepare themselves for a fight.

One of the wolves, the largest, looked back at me and Max. It was as big as a bear, with russet fur and deep, dark eyes. It looked at Max and seemed to nod to the rest of its pack. They backed off.

It turned towards me and Max and started to walk towards her.

I pushed her behind me and growled at the wolf. It looked up at me with intelligent eyes and stopped.

Then, it transformed.

From a wolf, it turned into a man. He appeared to be in his early twenties. Very well muscled with tan skin, dark eyes, and short black hair. "Sorry," he said in a deep, husky voice. "We didn't mean to spook you. Just answering the call."

Max stood next to me and asked, "What call?"

He stared at her and nodded respectfully. "Forgive me. I am Jacob. And this is my pack. We have come to answer the call sent out by the one who stands next to you."

Max looked at me, then at Jacob. "What?"

He knelt down on one knee, and I backed off. The other wolves transformed into people, and knelt down as well. "My lady, we have come to join your army."

**Dun dun dun! Cliffie!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	19. New Threats

Chapter 19: New Threats

MPOV

Okay, I have to admit that I was a _little _bit shocked when Jacob told me that.

I mean, join my _army_? Did I _look_ like a monarch to him?

"Um…" I said. "This is a little awkward."

Jacob looked up at me, his dark eyes flashing. "We have also come to warn you."

I straightened. "Warn me of what?"

He looked to another boy, who looked to be a few years older than me. The boy nodded. "A new enemy, stronger than you can ever imagine, is trying to destroy the human race. They are called the Cult. They have a motto. "Save the Planet: Kill the Humans." We are former agents of the Cult, but we did not like the idea of slaughtering innocent human beings.

"When you call was issued, we agreed to come and fight against those that destroy. If you will have us, my lady?"

I was having a hard time swallowing. "I-I will."

Jacob looked up at me and smiled. "Thank you, my lady. You—"

I held up my hand to silence him. "You do not have to call me lady. It's Max. Just Max."

He grinned and stood. The others followed his lead. "Very well."

"What are the names of your pack?" I asked.

He pointed to the boy who had nodded. He had longish dirty blonde hair and freckles. His skin was kind of tan, but not really. He was really tall, like all of the people in the pack. "This is my beta, Daniel."

Daniel nodded and shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

I blushed. "What sort of things?"

He grinned. "But then again, they were mostly from the Master, so I should probably keep my mouth shut."

The Master? Who was that? I guessed I would find out sooner or later.

Jacob pointed to a teen that looked like a movie star or something. "This is Zac."

I nodded. He said in a heavy German accent, "It is a pleasure to meet you, ya?"

I grinned. "I haven't had any good experiences with Germans, so watch your back."

He still grinned when he said, "You haf had too many run-ins with ter Borcht, haven't you?"

I nodded again.

Jacob pointed to a nerdy looking kid who, I would assume, could easily have had his lunch money taken by bullies in elementary school. "This is Connor."

Next to him was a girl who looked like a stereotypical Californian girl. "This is Britt. She's the only female in our pack."

I nodded respectfully to her. "Taking a big risk here, are we?"

She crossed her arms. "I was the only female to disagree with the Master's ideals. The others… were illegally convinced."

I shuddered at the thought of what had happened to the poor girls who joined the Cult's ranks.

He nodded to an older teen that was standing next to Britt, his arm wrapped around her waist. He looked like a city boy. "This is Que. He is Britt's… better half, for lack of a better statement."

I nodded to Que.

Jacob gestured to a group of six boys. They ranged from somewhere in their late teens to late childhood.

"This is Miguel." He pointed to a boy who looked to be Hispanic.

"This is Skye." Skye looked like he was from South America.

"Jerome is the second oldest." He pointed to a teen who looked like he was from Cuba or one of those Gulf islands.

"Austin is the middle child." Austin looked like he was from Minnesota, with blonde hair and brown eyes.

"This is Andrew." Andrew was about ten- or eleven-years-old. He was odd, because he had two different colored eyes. One was brown, and the other blue. Like a tabby cat.

"And this is Jake." The last boy was the youngest of the group, and was Hispanic like Miguel.

He leaned over and whispered. "They're all brothers."

My eyes widened. "Wow. How did Itex get them so far apart?"

Jacob shrugged. "Dunno. That's something that we would rather not find out. They're just upset that they all were experimented on."

I nodded knowingly. "The Gasman and Angel feel the same way. They're the only blood siblings in my flock."

Jacob glanced at Angel and Gazzy. He nodded, like he could see the resemblance. But then again, who couldn't? "Perhaps all family feels that way."

I gestured to the house. "Won't you come in?"

He smiled bashfully. "Thank you. That would be greatly appreciated. We have traveled many suns to get here."

I smiled. "All right then."

It seemed as if I could trust Jacob and his pack.

I'm just thankful I did.

**Just to let you know, I based Britt and Que off of my BFF Danica and her future hubbie, who's name just so happens to be Que. (I'm planning their future wedding!) Austin, Jerome, Andrew, Jake, Miguel, and Skye are real guys in my 7****th**** grade science and math classes. (Whattup, my peeps?) But in real life they're all the same age, and not brothers. But they hang out a lot, so I decided to do that.**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	20. The Planning Begins

Chapter 20: The Planning Begins

FPOV

When we were all in the house, including Jacob and his pack, Max said, "Fang, I need to talk with you. Bring Anne as well. Jacob, you and Daniel need to come too. Iggy."

We all followed her to the kitchen. "We need to make a plan," she announced.

Iggy nodded. "That's a good idea. The Cult sounds like bad news."

I stroked my chin in that way I had when I was deep in thought. Okay, call me philosophical, but it was a nervous habit. "Jacob, do you have any other information on the Cult? If we're going to make a plan, we're going to need all the info we can get."

Jacob nodded. "The Master, the leader of the Cult, used us as spies. Assassins. Whatever job he needed done, we did it. Until you came into the spotlight, Max.

"He didn't believe that saving the world meant saving the human race. He thought they were the ones destroying it, and you were egging it on. He came up with the motto I told you earlier. He thought that mutants should rule the world with a new way of thinking.

"But he disliked how you're trying to help the humans survive. He ordered us to kill you. But we fought back. We told him that humans could change their ways. That they were adaptable. He didn't believe us.

"Then, we heard that Fang was recruiting mutants for your army. We did some research, and found out that you lived here. We've been trying to find you for almost a month."

Max nodded thoughtfully. "All right. Can you tell us anything else? The structure of the Cult? Population? Building structure? Location? Any specialties?"

Daniel was the one to speak this time. "Those that join the Cult have an initiation ceremony. You have to denounce our old faith, like Buddhism or Christianity, and accept theirs. The Old Ways. The way of the Ancients. To worship the earth and her spirits. The three gods and three goddesses of our ancestors."

I looked up at him. "If we're going to make a plan, like infiltrate the Cult, we need to know what the names of those deities are."

Jacob answered, "The youngest goddess, Kilwa, is the goddess of power and corruption. The youngest god, Aro, is the god of childhood and foolishness. The second goddess, Keilanei, is the goddess of beauty and vanity. The third god, Icarus, is the god of intelligence and envy. The oldest god, Kye, is the god of life and death.

"And the oldest goddess, Hyacinth, is the goddess of the earth, sky, stars, rebirth, and Queen of the Universe."

We all nodded. "All right," Max said, "What about everything else?"

Daniel said, "You start out as an apprentice. Then, you become a monk or nun. Then a priest. Then a bishop. After that a cardinal. And finally a member of the Supreme Consul. But that's on the rarest occasion.

"Once the current Master dies, a member of the Consul is elected to become the next Master. There are no other ranks. They have an army of about three hundred strong. It mostly consists of experiments created by the School and Itex. Ones that couldn't make it anywhere else in the world. We were among those to join, because we didn't have anywhere else to go.

"Right now they're using SuperErasers as the main infantrymen of their army. They're three times stronger then the original Erasers, and ten times harder to beat. And take it from us, they don't smell any better."

Iggy nodded. "We know. We fought some last week."

Jacob's face paled. "They were here?"

Max nodded. "Yes. They followed Fang and his flock here. We don't know much more than that."

He and Daniel exchanged worried glances. "Then they were sent by the Master," Jacob explained. "Sent by the Master to stop the call from being issued. But they failed. The Master will stop at nothing to kill you now, Max."

Iggy looked at Max, a stricken look crossing his face. She nodded and whispered something so low I couldn't hear it to him. He nodded and his face became impassive.

Anne was staring at Max. There had been something off about her since the day that the SuperErasers had attacked. I didn't know what, and I couldn't put my finger on it. Something was wrong. And it seemed that everyone but me knew.

Jacob cleared his throat. "Um…The total population of the Cult is about three-hundred-fifty strong. They're located in Nevada. In what humans would call 'Area 51.'"

Max laughed darkly. "What a convenient location."

Daniel continued, "The buildings look like airplane hangers. Like a military base. That's why the United States government doesn't mess with them. Area 51 has been under the Cult's control since the late 1970s. The government doesn't know that, though."

We all nodded in unison. Max and I exchanged looks, using our unspoken language. We both understood internally that this was going to be a little tricky.

"Thank you, Jacob and Daniel," she said calmly, "for giving us that information. It is greatly appreciated. And thank you for coming. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Max," Daniel said, "is it all right if I speak to you for a moment?"

She nodded. "Of course you may. In private, I assume?"

He nodded back.

What's with everybody having private conversations with Max these days?

**Poor Fang! He has no idea of why they keep talking to her!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	21. Everyone Loves me But Fang Wait What?

Chapter 21: Everyone Loves Me But Fang—Wait, What?

MPOV

When everyone else was out of earshot, Daniel said softly, "Max… Are you… are you pregnant?"

I nodded solemnly. "Yes. But how did you know? I'm not showing that bad, am I?" I was getting worried. What if Fang saw?

Daniel raised his hands in a gesture that said, "Whoa, there!" He shook his head. "No. But I can tell if a person has a certain condition by touching them. Sort of like Nudge's power to tell past events by touching an object."

I relaxed. "You guys have powers too?"

He nodded. "Yes. I think it might have to do with the mutating of human stem cells. But it's just a theory."

I nodded. "All right. Is that all?"

"Yes," he replied. "That is all that was concerning me."

I nodded and left the kitchen.

I slapped my hand against my forehead. I had forgotten my book under the oak!

I ran outside and a short distance through the woods. Finally, I reached my favorite oak tree. My book was sitting underneath its shaded canopy, still open to the page I left off at.

With quick, efficient movements, I grabbed the book and folded the corner of the page.

Just as I was about to make my way back, a dark shadow caught my eye.

My first thought was, _SuperErasers! _But then I saw that it was Fang.

And he didn't look too happy.

"Fang," I said curtly.

He didn't say anything. But his eyes were pleading.

I just stared back. "What?"

All feeling drained from his eyes. "What did Daniel want to talk to you about?"

*Sigh* He was at it _again_? That had to be the third time today!

"It was a private conversation," I said bluntly. "And I really think it's none of your business."

I started to walk away, but Fang stepped in front of me. "Tell me the truth, Max."

I scowled. "Butt out!"

He frowned. "Maximum Ride, I swear, if you don't tell me what's wrong, I'm going to have Angel tell me!"

I admit it: I gasped. Fang _never_ raised his voice at me. _Ever._ Even when I broke his hand that time when we were twelve. And he _never_ used my full name. Even when he admitted his love for me in the letter.

I had made him mad.

I couldn't hide it any longer. I had to tell him. I just _had_ to. The bump was even more noticeable today than any other day.

I couldn't help it. I dropped to my knees, hid my face in my hands, and cried.

I felt him wrap his strong, wiry arms around me. "Max…" he whispered, his voice kind. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

I shook my head. "No, Fang. It's not that. It's… what I've been hiding from you."

When I looked up, I could clearly see the confused look on his face. "What? What have you been hiding from me?"

I let my happiness break through my armor. I let my love for him shine out. "Fang," I began, thinking that I was about to start hyperventilating. "I'm—"

"Max!" a voice shouted from nearby. "Fang! You gotta come here! You gotta see this!"

Stupid interruptions.

**Awwwww! And she was just about to tell him he was gonna be a daddy! But not to worry! I have it covered.**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	22. The Army Takes Form

**I own more peoples now!**

**Claimer: I own Slash's pride, Kyle's pod, Jordan's pod, and the Gen. 77 Amazons.**

Chapter 22: The Army Takes Form

FPOV

I was mentally screaming in my head.

Max was just about to tell me what had been on her mind for the last week, and then someone goes and interrupts it!

Now I was doubly intrigued by what she had to tell me.

We glanced at each other. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

We walked back to the house and found something truly mesmerizing.

There were mutants. About forty of them. They appeared to range from about four years old to their early twenties.

Nine of the mutants stepped forward.

"Maximum Ride?" one of the older ones asked.

She nodded, but didn't say anything.

He knelt, and the others did the same. "I am Slash, leader of my pack." He gestured to a younger woman who knelt beside him. "This is my wife, Sarah."

She nodded to them. "It's pleasure to meet you." She looked around. "You guys can stand. You don't have to kneel."

They stood.

Slash nodded to a man standing next to him. "This is my brother and beta, Claw." He pointed to a woman gripping Claw's arm. "And this is his wife, Audrey."

Max smiled at them. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

A man and a woman stepped forward. The man said, "I am Kyle. And this is my beta and wife, Sydney."

"G'day," said Sydney. She had what I assumed to be an Australian accent.

Max smiled at her and replied, "It's nice to meet you."

Two men stepped forward with two women. The older man said in a deep, French-accented voice, "I am Jordan. This is my wife, Isabelle." Isabelle was small compared to her husband, and looked like she was Asian.

The younger man said in an even deeper voice, "I am Noah. This is Madison, my wife." Madison looked like she was Hispanic. And, like Isabelle, was dwarfed compared to her husband.

Then two girls stepped forward. The oldest addressed Max in a Portuguese-accented voice, "I am Chloe. And this is my sister and beta, Christina."

I could see Connor, the nerdy one from Jacob's pack, eyeing Chloe. I tried my best to hide my smirk, and almost failed.

We were introduced to their groups. All of them had come to join Max's army.

We found out that Slash's group was a pride of wildcat hybrids. They could turn into any form of cat they wanted.

Kyle's group was a pod of, like, fish hybrids. They could breathe underwater, like Max, Angel, and I.

Jordan's group was a pod also, but they could transform into any oceanic creature at will.

Chloe's group was called the Amazons. They were an all-female group of Gen. 77's with assorted powers. Sarah, Audrey, Isabelle, and Madison all belonged to the Amazons, but had chosen to remain with their husbands.

When we were _all _inside, Max decided to hold a war council in none other than the kitchen. Alphas and betas only.

**I forgot to mention that I based Connor (his name is Connor) off of this guy that is, like, **_**in love **_**with my cousin, Madie. But she doesn't like him back. He's practically **_**obsessed**_** with her! I based Noah off the Noah that I like during my 7****th**** grade year. But he's my age.**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	23. Council of War

**It's all falling into place, everybody! We're almost done with Part 2! I'll start Part 3 over the weekend.**

**Claimer: I own the Cult, the Master, and SuperErasers. I forgot to mention that. But I do not own their motto. JP does.**

Chapter 23: Council of War

MPOV

"We have to destroy the Cult," Slash said. "It comes down to that."

"But what about _their _armies?" Iggy countered. "From what Jacob's told us, they outnumber us."

I was leaned over the table, staring carefully at the maps of the Cult that Daniel had so thoughtfully provided, and listening to everyone go back and forth.

"Iggy makes a good point," Sydney added. "If we do attack, it will most likely be suicide. We can't risk losing our army to them."

Then it clicked.

_Very good, Max, _the Voice whispered. _You've just figured out your plan._

Then it was silent.

"Max?" Christina asked, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Max!"

I looked up at them. They were staring at me intently.

I stood up straighter. "I have a plan."

"Well then," Chloe said, surprised, "tell us!"

I'm pretty sure my face looked grim. "We go to fight them. We finish them off before they can finish us.

"It'll be a suicide mission, though. It is likely that most of us won't come back alive."

"WHAT?" Claw asked.

I held up my hand, and he fell silent. "Let me finish." I lowered my hand. "That is why anyone is our groups younger than thirteen will be staying behind."

Noah shot me a confused look. "Why? Why younger than thirteen?"

I looked directly at him. "That way they can carry on even if we are no more."

Eyes widened. They understood completely what had to be done. What the others had to do if we didn't come back alive.

"So who's with me?" I asked.

Silence.

Fang was the first to step forward. "I said it before and I'll say it again: Max, wherever you will go to save the world—I will follow."

I smiled at my best friend. "I knew I could count on you."

Iggy came to stand next to me. My protective brotherly figure. "I'm in."

Slash and Claw came forward. "We're in. And you can count our pride in too."

Kyle and Sydney glanced at each other, and, holding hands, stepped to stand next to Slash and Claw. "Count us in."

Jacob and Daniel came forward. "We've been in since the very beginning."

Jordan and Noah came to stand with me. "Anything to help you," Jordan said quietly.

Christina and Chloe stood next to Iggy. (Not a very good idea, I might add.) "No, duh! We're in!"

Anne looked like she was deep in thought. Finally, she said, "Yes."

I smiled at her. But it wasn't a genuine smile. I still didn't trust her. I had a gut feeling that I never would.

Thank God that I go with my gut.

**Hm…? I wonder why Anne is acting weird. Don't you? Reviewreviewreview! Free cookies for those who do!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	24. Packing

Chapter 24: Packing

FPOV

The hardest part of Max's ingenious plan: breaking the news to the younger kids.

"What?" Nudge shouted when she announced it.

"I just told you," Max said calmly. "If you're twelve or younger, you can't go on the mission."

Nudge frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "But that's not fair! I'm almost thirteen! Why can't I go?"

"Because you're still twelve," Max replied.

Nudge looked like she was deep in thought. "But doesn't that mean that you can't—"

"Shut up, Nudge!" I heard Max mutter from the corner of her mouth.

"But I'm just saying—" Nudge tried again.

This time Max just gave her a death glare.

Nudge shut her mouth. A first for her.

One of Jordan's pod, a little boy called Derrick, looked up at Max and asked, "But why can't we go? We know how to fight! We can help!"

Max frowned. "It's complicated."

Derrick didn't look satisfied.

"Are there any other questions?" Max asked.

Silence.

"All right then," she said. She looked to those of us that would be going on the mission. Which was most of us. "Get your stuff. We're leaving in two days."

MPOV

I was in my room, packing my stuff, when Nudge came in.

"Max," she said softly. "Can I talk to you?"

I nodded. "Sure, sweetie. Come on in."

Nudge shuffled into my room. "Why can't I go on the mission? I can help!"

I gave her a soft, kind look. I sat on my bed and patted the spot beside me. "We need to talk, Nudge."

She sat beside me and looked up into my eyes with her big coffee-brown eyes.

I sighed and looked at her. "I need you and the younger ones to stay," I began, "because you guys need to carry on for us."

"What?" she asked.

"Nudge," I said, "if none of us come back, and chances are good for that, then it will be the jobs of the rest of you to keep the flock, pack, pride, pod, or whatever, going. Do you understand what I mean?"

Nudge's big eyes got bigger. "Yeah. I get what you mean."

I smiled gently. "And I also need you… to lead the flock. If Iggy and I don't come back."

She nodded. "All right." She put on a determined face. "I'll do whatever needs to be done."

I smiled and hugged her. "That's my girl." I kissed the top of her head. "You're so strong. That's good."

I pulled away and stroked her fluffy hair. She gave me a big smile.

Then Nudge looked careful. "Max, you shouldn't be going either."

I frowned and nodded. "I know."

She looked scared. "Then why are you going?"

I replied, "Because it's my job to save the world. And to keep you guys safe."

She stood. "But what about your family? What about Fang, and your mom, and Ella, and Jeb? What's gonna happen when they find out after you're dead that you're—"

I put my hand up in a universal, "hold you your horses" gesture. "Keep your voice down. I don't want too many people to find out."

Nudge shut her mouth and nodded. "Fine."

"As for that," I continued. "No one's gonna find out. I trust that you and Angel won't say anything."

She nodded. "All right."

I smiled. "Good."

Suddenly, a quiet voice said from the doorway, "What do you not want anyone to find out?"

I stiffened and paled. Fang. He had been invisible this whole time!

He moved, and suddenly I could see him.

"Fang," I gasped, standing up.

Nudge paled out as much as she could and looked between me and Fang. "I'm leaving now."

She stood and left the room.

I stared intently at him. "Fang—"

He held up his hand to silence me. "Max, whatever you don't want anyone to find out, you were going to tell me earlier. What is it?"

I took the deepest breath I could manage, but it still felt like I was hyperventilating. "It's about what happened—three months ago."

He was staring at me intently, obviously remembering that night. "Yes…?"

I walked over to him and took his hand. I placed it over my womb (that word still felt weird whenever I say it) and looked deeply into his dark eyes.

That was when it nudged again. He looked down at where his hand was, and then up at me again. "What…?"

I took another deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

And, of course, that went over like a ton of freaking bricks.

**OMG! How is Fang gonna react to it? Will he be angry? Or will he run off? Read to find out! And review please! Free cookies for those who do!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	25. Hi Dad!

**What's gonna happen? How will Fang react?**

Chapter 25: Hi, Dad!

FPOV

It felt like I had been hit by a train.

Max + Pregnancy = _Does not compute_.

Max was pregnant?

"And…" I stammered. "I-I'm the…?"

She nodded. "Um… yeah." She looked embarrassed, scared, and worried. But I could also see a little bit of happiness in her eyes.

_Fang, _the Voice whispered, _remember what I said before._

_What? _I thought back.

I struggled to remember what the Voice had told me before.

Then it hit me.

_Do not let your loved one go on any suicide missions._

Nudge had told her not to go.

_It will also decide the fate of another._

She was pregnant with our child.

_A new family member is on its way._

The pain… the worry… the moodiness…

It all clicked just then.

"How long have you known?" I asked, my voice more quiet than usual.

Max pushed my hand away. "I found out the day before you came back. That was part of the reason why I said we couldn't be together. And why I was so upset."

I nodded. It all made sense now. Why she had been almost emotionless when I had first appeared.

She looked up at me, and I swear I saw tears in her doe-brown eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. For everything. This is all my fault. If I hadn't… I'm so stupid!" She buried her face in her hands and cried.

I was shocked. If there was anyone to blame for this, it was me.

I pulled her to me. "Sh," I whispered. "It's going to be all right."

After several minutes, she pulled away.

She looked up at me with a determined expression on her beautiful, radiant face. "I know how to fix this."

I knew just by looking into her eyes what she meant.

_Abortion, _the Voice intoned unnecessarily.

_No freaking duh! _I thought back. _But I'm not going to let her._

I held her bony shoulders, keeping her in place. "No, Max."

She stared hard at me. "What? Why? It's the only way you'll let me go on the mission!"

I sighed and looked at the floor. Then I looked back at her. "You're no killer, Max. You know that."

Max's eyes widened again.

For a long time, she seemed to be battling with herself. And her Voice.

After many conflicted minutes, she murmured, "All right. I see your point.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. I let go of her shoulders. "Good."

We stood in silence for a few moments.

"We'll figure this out when we get back," I told her. "After the mission, we'll decide on what to do."

Max looked into my eyes, and I swear I started to drown her expression was so intense. "All right."

Suddenly, there was the sound of a car outside.

"Max!" Angel yelled. "Jeb's here. And your mom and Ella!"

Max sighed and left the room. I followed close behind.

When we were downstairs, everyone, and I mean _everyone_, was meeting Dr. M, Ella, and Jeb. The three looked kind of taken aback by the amount of people you could fit in this house.

"Max!" Ella shouted. "MaxMaxMaxMaxMaxMax!"

Max smiled at her half-sister and ran over to hug her.

Ella smiled and pulled away. "Iggy told me everything! I can't believe that you're—"

"Sh!" Max said.

Ella grinned mischievously. "Have it your way then. But you're gonna have to tell Mom. And Jeb."

Max groaned. "Oh God!"

I felt myself go pale. _Oh. Crap._

Max looked at Jeb and smiled embarrassedly. "Hi, Dad!" she said with a sort of faux cheeriness.

Jeb wasn't smiling. "Maximum Ride," he said in that no-nonsense tone he reserved for the worst situations. (An example would be the time that we (meaning the whole flock) had stuck frogs in the toilet.) "We need to talk."

**Uh-oh! She forgot about what her parents would think! What will Jeb say? Will he be angry?**

**R&R! Sorry if Fang was too OOC for ya! *cowers under desk* Don't kill me!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	26. Telling the 'Rents

**We're almost done with Part 2!**

Chapter 26: Telling the 'Rents

MPOV

Silently, Fang and I were marched by Jeb into the kitchen, Mom on our tail.

When we were in the kitchen and everyone was out of earshot, Jeb said with the sort of protectiveness I would expect from a father, "Max, what is it that possessed you to be so irresponsible?"

I took a sudden interest in the countertop. I mumbled incoherently.

"Wait," Mom said. "What is this all about, anyway?"

I risked a glance at Fang. He nodded.

"Um…" I stammered. "I-I'm… pregnant."

Mom stared at me, her eyes getting wider and wider by the second.

Silence.

Then, "Maximum Brooklynn Maria Ride—" that was a new one on me "—you are in so much trouble."

I stared at her. "Brooklynn Maria?"

She sighed. "That was what your given name was. Before you were taken to the School."

I shrugged. "Okaaaay…?"

Mom looked between me and Fang. "And I would assume that you are the child's father?" she asked Fang.

He rubbed the back of his neck in that habit he had whenever he was embarrassed or bashful or nervous. I assumed it was all three this time. "Yeah."

Jeb sent him a good, long glare. He leaned over the countertop and shook his head. "This puts everything in a rather compromising position," he muttered.

"What?" I asked.

He looked up at me, then glanced loathingly at Fang. "Because of this… incident… you will be in a very delicate position.

"It means that saving the world will have to be put on hold until the abortion is complete—"

"NO!" I shrieked.

The three of them looked at me.

"No," I repeated, though this time more softly. "I'm not going to have an abortion. Like Fang told me earlier, I'm no killer."

Jeb stared hard at me for a minute. I could see that he looked… older. Gaunter. Like he hadn't slept for days.

Finally, he muttered. "Fine. But what are you going to do once the child is born? What if you haven't saved the world by that time?"

I thought for a moment. "I would give it up for adoption."

I glanced at Fang. He was staring intently at me.

"And if you _have _saved the world?" Jeb asked.

I stared at him in that endearing pit bull way I have. "Then I'll raise it myself."

Fang came to stand by me. "And you won't be alone in this fight."

I stared up at him, love shining out of my eyes. "Thank you."

Mom looked between me and Fang. She seemed to be having one of those motherly conflicted moments. Like she was decided whether or not to ground me. Finally, she sighed. "All right."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

But I don't think Jeb was as easily convinced. He was still staring at me and Fang wearily.

"Fine," he muttered minutes later.

I noticed Fang's frame loosen subtly. He was relieved.

Then Jeb looked at us. "Are you still going on the mission?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Silence.

"All right," Jeb said. "That's all.

**One more chappie left for Part 2!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	27. Leaving

Chapter 27: Leaving

FPOV

Two days later, those of us going on the mission were ready to leave.

I was kneeling in front of Tatiana, looking her in the eye. "It's going to be your job to look after Tiger and Haley while we're gone. Nudge will help to look after you. Any of the others too."

She nodded and put on a tough face. I smiled inwardly. She reminded me so much of Nudge.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Max saying goodbye to Angel, who looked sad to be saying goodbye to the person who had been like a mother figure to her for, most likely, the last time.

I went over to Tiger and patted his head. He smiled up at me. So like the Gasman. "Take care of your sister. No arguing, 'kay?"

He nodded. "Gottcha."

I gave him a small smile. "Promise me something."

He nodded. "Yeah?"

I leaned close and whispered so no one else could hear, "Make sure Angel doesn't get into any trouble while we're gone. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded eagerly. "You bet."

I smiled again. "Good."

I went over to Haley. She looked like she was near tears.

"Hey," I said quietly in a comforting tone that I usually reserved for when Max was upset. "It's going to be fine. Don't worry."

She looked up at me. Tears streaked down her small, round face.

Then she threw herself into my arms and cried.

I stroked her hair. "It's all right. Sh. I'm going to be fine."

She stared up at me with her big, multi-colored eyes. "How do you know?"

I shrugged and smiled. "I just know things."

I knelt down to her height and wiped away a few tears with my thumb. She looked more scared than when I had first found her. "You come back?"

I nodded. "I'll come back."

She hugged me again, and that was when I realized how attached to me she had become.

I rubbed her back in between her wings, just like I did with Max.

When Haley finally let go, I caught sight of Iggy and Ella. They were hugging fiercely.

Then, Ella pulled back a little and kissed Iggy on the mouth.

Max and I met eyes. She smiled knowingly. She knew.

MPOV

I said goodbye to Fang's flock. Haley was the most emotional about us leaving. She was sobbing when Fang had said goodbye.

I saw Nudge and Allan saying goodbye. Nudge threw her arms around his neck and whispered something in his ear.

I smiled to myself. Love was in the air.

Everyone was saying goodbye to those they loved. Ones that they would miss the most.

"Ready?" I asked Fang when everyone had said goodbye.

"Ready." His face was impassive, but I could see determination set into his dark eyes.

I snapped open my wings, nearly clipping Troy, a boy my age from Jordan's pod, as I did so.

Anybody from Jacob's pack quickly transformed into wolves. Slash's pride morphed into wildcats. And Jordan's pod turned into seabirds.

Anybody from Kyle's pod got onto the backs of Slash's and Jacob's groups, as they didn't have any other means of transportation other than walking.

"Let's hit it!" I shouted.

Then, looking _tres _dramatic, us Avian-Americans ran towards the forest and were airborne in moments, Jordan's pod taking off not long afterward.

Looking down, I could see Jacob's pack and Slash's pride running, not even top speed, with Kyle's pod on their backs.

_Master, _I thought, _here we come._

**And so the battle shall commence. I won't start updating this story until later, 'cause I haven't started Part 3 yet. But don't worry! I'll get it updated soon!**

**Review. Review? Review! Free cookies if you do!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	28. Merry Band of Mutants

**Soooooooooooo sorry I haven't updated! It takes me a while to do chapters! (And it takes me at least a month to do each part!) Please don't kill me! *cowers under desk***

**Percy: You have issues.**

**Fang: I can agree with that.**

**Me: I know. But it's my mom and bro that you want to drag to the funny farm, not me! I kidnapped Zuko!**

**Zuko: This is weird.**

**Me: Too bad! Now do the disclaimer!**

**Zuko: Fine. Disclaimer: She doesn't own MR. But she owns the pack, the pride, both pods, and the Amazons.**

**Me: And any other character that they do not mention in MR is mine.**

Part 3: The Battle Begins

Chapter 28: Merry Band of Mutants

FPOV

Six hours later, all of us were ready to drop dead from hunger and exhaustion. So, using Destiny's, a girl from Jordan's pod, telepathy, we were able to meet up in a clearing in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, one-hundred miles north-northwest of the Cult.

"How much food do we have?" Jay and Kay, twins from Slash's pride, asked in unison.

Max did a mental calculation. "Enough to last us until tomorrow morning. The rest we're just going to have to figure out later."

Everyone groaned.

Troy and Drew, from Jordan's pod, were able to get a fire going. We all sat around, talking quietly.

"We have one son," Sarah whispered. "But we left him in the care of my parents, who are living in France."

Max looked sympathetically at Sarah. "Oh. What's his name?"

Slash smiled, mostly to himself, and said, "Perseus. After Sarah's father. He's only seven months old."

I thought I saw a tear escape from Sarah's eye. Her sisters, Sophia and Sabrina, moved next to her and held her, as if they all needed the strength. You could hardly tell which one was which, because they were triplets.

Suddenly, Noah burst out laughing.

"What?" Caroline, an Amazon, asked. "What is so funny?"

Noah laughed a little harder before choking out in an overly-happy-sounding falsetto voice, "I'm going to use your blood as jelly on my syrup!" (**A/N: LOL! My friend Noah really did say that! (From "Mr. Happy Face" video!)**)

Everyone in Jordan's pod burst into laughter. The rest of us were left scratching our heads.

Destiny laughed, obviously understanding because of her telepathy.

Out of nowhere, Willow, Troy's girlfriend from Kyle's pod, said at me, "Fang, why is your hair so long? You should get it cut."

"No! His hair's so emo it cuts itself!" Iggy shouted.

Max and Iggy laughed. I just grinned. That had been a flock inside joke for forever! (**A/N: From the pic "Flock Joke!"**)

"Oh girl!" Miguel sang in a funny voice.

"It's your birthday!" Skye sang back.

"Open wide!" Miguel said.

"I know you're thirsty!" Skye sang next.

"Let me here you say ahhh!" Miguel said.

"Say ahhh!" Skye replied. (**A/N: They really did do that in class! Got annoying as heck!**)

Austin stood up on a log and waved his arms up and down like wings. "Caw! Caw!"

Max frowned. "Don't make fun of us!"

Austin just laughed. "I'm making fun of one of the scientists at Itex. She was called Mrs. Walker." (**A/N: a.k.a: My 7****th**** grade math teacher!**)

We all laughed at that one.

"I'm a banana!" Que shouted out of nowhere.

Laughter rang out in the clearing.

We were some merry band of mutants!

**This chapter is filled with inside jokes! (If you were from Warm Springs Middle School, and in any of my classes, you will get the jokes!)**

**It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I fact, I think it sucks.**

***Sigh* Review! Free cookies for reviewers!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	29. Club Mutant

**I'm sorry for not updating! I've had school, and that's not as fun as it sounds! Please don't kill me! *cowers under desk***

**Anywhoo, here's the next chappie. Kind of a filler chapter.**

Chapter 29: Club Mutant

MPOV

The sun had set behind the mountains, and stars were popping out. The moon was rising in the distance. Our fire illuminated everything within a thirty-foot radius.

"Look what I've got!" Rachel, Jacob's girlfriend from Jordan's pod, taunted, pulling out an iHome and an iPod touch.

"OMG!" Vickie, a girl my age from Kyle's pod, shrieked.

The Amazons were grinning from ear to ear.

Two minutes later, Pitbull was blaring from the portable speakers.

"What song is this?" I asked.

Nicole, Austin's girlfriend, replied, "'Krazy' by Pitbull featuring Lil' John."

I had to admit, it had a good beat.

Caroline, Madison, Emily, Helen, and Marie started to dance, performing like they were on a stage.

"Come on Max!" Caroline said, tugging on my arm. "We'll teach you!"

I laughed nervously and tried to pull away. "No!" I fake-moaned. "Anything but that!"

She laughed, but pulled me over to the dance anyway.

"Like this," she said, showing me the proper way to move my feet and hands.

Just then, the song changed to "Misery" by Maroon 5.

They changed the dance, and I followed them in suit.

We moved our hips in a figure eight motion and raised our arms like snakes to the sky.

I sensed Fang's dark eyes on me, and blushed.

When the song ended, we bowed.

"That was great Max!" Dylan said to me when I went to sit down. "I had no idea that you could dance!"

I didn't answer.

"Since when do you dance?" Fang asked, leaning over to me.

I blushed. "At that school in Virginia. They taught us some dances during PE."

He nodded. "I skipped that part of the class."

I grinned at him.

Soon "I'm Ridin' Solo" by Jason Derulo was blasting from the iHome.

"This is how you do the chorus!" Alisha, Nicole's sister, shouted. She took her right arm and moved it from side to side like she was driving a car.

"Cool!" Bryan, her boyfriend, called. "Let me try!"

He got right behind her, and I mean _right _behind her (like they were grinding or something) and started to do the move she showed.

Seconds later, several others joined in. It almost looked like a grinding line, but it was slightly different.

Rob, a guy from Slash's pride, held out his hand to me. "Come on!"

I cast an apologetic glance at Fang and took Rob's hand. He led me to the group and showed me again how to do the move.

Soon, I was smiling, laughing, and dancing with the others.

"All right," Jordan announced. "Now I'm gonna slow it down."

Iggy and a few other guys wolf-whistled.

_Sexist pigs, _I thought.

"This song is called, 'Never Gonna Be Alone,'" Jordan called.

"May I have this dance?" a quiet, deliberate voice asked from behind me.

I turned and smiled when I saw Fang.

"Yeah, sure," I replied.

He put his hands on my hips, and mine wound around his neck. We swayed in time to the music.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

He gave me a heart-stopping half-grin. "Because I missed my chance at Total's wedding."

I smiled gently and laid my head on his chest.

"_Never gonna be alone /From this moment on. /If you ever feel like letting go /I won't let you fall. /When all hope is gone /I know that you can carry on,_" the lead singer of Nickelback sang softly.

"This is nice," I murmured.

Fang didn't say anything. I assumed he was smiling.

Then: "This song reminds me of when I came back."

I looked up at him. "What?"

He looked deeply into my eyes. "This song," he repeated, "reminds me of when I came back. After Germany and everything."

I thought for a moment. "Yeah," I whispered. "It does."

I glanced around to see the other couples who were dancing.

Iggy was just sitting on a log, head in his hands. I felt bad for the poor guy. He missed Ella.

Dylan and Anne, much to my surprise, were dancing together.

Britt and Que were swaying gently to the rhythm.

Kay and Cole (he was from Kyle's pod) were dancing.

Kyle and Sydney were, no doubt, dancing.

I saw Lucas and Vickie, both from Kyle's pod, dancing.

Willow and Troy were kissing as they danced. (**A/N: Awwwwww!**)

Rachel and Jacob were dancing.

Kay's twin sister Jay was dancing with Mike from Kyle's pod.

It really touched me when I saw Austin and Nicole dancing. (**A/N: That's for you Nicole! (Even if his socks are gay! (LOL!))**)

Alisha and Bryan were dancing and talking quietly.

Caroline and Daniel were sitting on a log, just talking, but it was sweet none the less.

Zac and Christina were dancing. Chloe was keeping an eye on them.

Connor, though, seemed to have stolen the show, and was dancing with Chloe.

Slash and Sarah were doing a full-blown waltz. So were Blake and Sophia and Audrey and Claw.

Jordan and Isabelle were nowhere to be seen. (**A/N: **_**Hint hint. Wink wink.**_)

Noah and Madison were dancing in a circular motion. Not a full waltz, but a half-one.

Ryan, Bryan's twin brother, was dancing with the Amazon San Ju Lee. (**A/N: I seriously have a friend who lives in Korea whose name is that. I forgot how to spell it, though.**)

As the song was ending, Fang looked at me. "Max?"

I looked at him. "Yeah?"

His eyes were emotionless. But they didn't fail to make my breath catch. "What are you planning on doing? If you survive and this is all over?"

I thought. "I don't know. It depends on so much."

He looked away. "I mean if you come back but _I _don't."

Oh.

"Well… um…" I muttered. "I'll probably… find a place. Settle down. Raise the baby by myself. But I'll take the flocks with me. They can leave when they want to. But they need someone to take care of them for a few more years."

He nodded. "And if I _do _come back?"

I thought for a moment. He made a good point. "Hm… I don't know."

He stared deep into my eyes. "Come on. We need to talk."

He pulled me off into the forest, away from the others and the music.

**Love it? Hate it? Review!**

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	30. Arguments of the Shouting Kind

**Two chapters in one day! Wow!**

Chapter 30: Arguments of the Shouting Kind

MPOV

Moonlight filtered in through the trees like a waterfall. The stars were barely visible through the canopy.

Fang let go of my hand and walked a few paces further, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Max, I…" he began. "I don't know whether or not you're doing the right thing."

I stared at him. "What? What do you mean?"

He took a sudden interest in his shoes. "I mean, by going on this mission."

I stared at him, flabbergasted. (**A/N: Love that word! It sounds so funny!**) "Wha… what are you talking about? This is my mission! I _have _to save the world!"

He stared at me again, his dark eyes expressing no emotions whatsoever. "Yeah, but not when you're freaking _pregnant_!"

This was the first time in a while that Fang and I had had this bad of a fight. "And who do we have to blame for _that_, I wonder?" I shouted back.

"It's your fault! If you hadn't—"

Oh, now he'd done it!

"_MY fault_?" I shouted. "_My _fault? It was _YOU _who kissed me first!"

His face became a mask of stone-cold fury. "You're wrong. That time on the beach? When your own _brother _attacked me! And not once I might add!" he said a lot more quietly.

We were right in each other's faces, both of us trying to get the better of the other. This was the first shouting match we'd had in… months.

I gaped at him. "And yet who is the one who freaking _left us _for three months?" I shouted.

"For your own safety!" he yelled back.

I stared at him, fury making my blood sing and clearly written across my face. "After I brought you back from the _dead_!" I whisper-yelled.

Fang blinked. Clearly, he hadn't thought about that side of the argument.

I cleared my face of all emotion and shook my head solemnly. "I'm beginning to wonder if I did the right thing by doing that."

I began to walk away, but Fang grabbed my hand. "Don't you walk away from me," he warned.

I turned around. I was livid. I had never felt this angry in my whole life. Not even when I found out Jeb was alive and a whitecoat. "You're not the boss of me," I whispered.

I yanked my hand out of his grasp and walked away, leaving Fang staring after me like a confused child.

**Love it? Hate it? Review! And please help me out! I need a beta who knows how to write lemons! (As I am writing the lemony version of the flashback in Ch.6 for my other ff, Flock Oneshots.) So please, please help me! I am desperate! **

**Peace, love, happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	31. Prepare for Battle!

**Sorry I haven't updated! Teachers just keep piling on the homework! And it's only the second week of school!**

Chapter 31: Prepare for Battle

FPOV

I stared after Max as she walked away. The look that had been on her face was awful. I had never, _ever _seen her that mad in my whole life. Not ever.

I felt kind of bad about yelling at her. I knew that this was her mission, but she couldn't go when she was pregnant with our child. I was too protective of her to let her go. But she was too stubborn to listen. And now both of them had to pay the price.

I was frustrated. Frustrated with Max, myself, the mission, Dylan, Gunther-Hagen for even starting this whole thing, Jeb for telling Max that it was her mission, the School for even giving us wings, and especially the little child she carried in her. Because of it she would have to be on guard at all times.

I yelled at nothing and slammed my fists into a tree. There was a sickening _crunch!_, and I pulled my hands away. The skin was split and beginning to bleed already.

I shook my head at my own stupidity. Note to self: Stop hitting inanimate objects. (**A/N: Any body who can tell me where that line comes from gets a free plate of Dr. M's home-made cookies, hot out of the oven!**)

I walked back to camp, silent as the grave.

When I got there, Max was sitting with Sarah, they were chatting about something. I don't know what. I caught her eye, but she turned away. Apparently she was still mad at me.

"All right everyone," Max announced. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we infiltrate the Cult. I want everyone on high alert." She glanced around. "All right then. Any offers for first watch?"

In the end, Noah ended up taking first watch. Then Iggy. Then me.

I sighed, leaned up against the trunk of the wide oak tree I now rested in, and prayed to get a good night sleep.

(Line break)

But, my hopes were cut short by Iggy yelling, "SuperErasers!"

Max shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

I groaned. I just couldn't catch a break, could I?

**Poor Fang. All right-y then… This is more of a filler chapter. It mostly focuses on Fang's point of view on all that has been going on for the last while. **

**Please review! **

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	32. First Betrayals

**So sorry I haven't updated! But I finished Part 3 this weekend, so updating will be more frequent!**

**Anywhoo… this chapter shall be epic! (As the title suggests, it will involve betrayals.)**

**And if you like some of the characters that I make evil: Please, no flames. I actually like Algebra, so I don't need to make s'mores.**

**Onward with the chappie!**

Chapter 32: First Betrayals

MPOV

When I first caught sight of the SuperErasers, my first thought was, _Oh. Crap._

But then I saw who was with them through the dim, early-dawn light.

_Double crap!_

"Well," a high, whispery female voice said, "a group of mutants camping out in the woods? How adorable!"

"I agree," said a female alto voice. "It's just too cute." The voices laughed.

I glared at the speakers. "Nice to see you both again. I was beginning to wonder if the SuperErasers had eaten you or not."

Lissa, preferably known as the Red-Haired Wonder, cackled like a drunken hyena. "Oh, Maximum. You always did hate me, and I never understood why! I always thought you would be happy for Fang-y and I."

I shot Fang a glance; he was perched on a wide oak branch, wings out, a deadly look on his face, ready to spring.

"Why, yes," Dr. Brigid Dwyer, better known as Dr. Stupendous, agreed happily. "Why aren't you happy with us? I mean, we succeeded in what very few set out to do. And that was catching the eye of a certain emo bird-boy. Something only you could do."

I had to keep myself from laughing. Fang wasn't going to be happy about the "emo" comment.

"What do you want with me?" Fang asked.

The girls looked at each other and started laughing. When their laughter had receded, they looked up at him. "Fang, Fang, Fang," the Red-Haired Wonder said, shaking her head. "What would we want with _you_? You already did your job. You led us to Max. And, much more importantly, the first viable mutant offspring."

I glanced down at my stomach. Then I glared at them. "How did you-"

Dr. Stupendous cracked a smile. "Why, the Master's new favorite pets. I'm certain you've met them."

Now I was confused. I looked at Jacob, who had once worked for the Master. He shook his head and said, "Even having a pencil would be high-tech for us. We don't have any tracking equipment in us or with us."

I nodded.

"We don't mean _them_," the Red-Haired Wonder snarled. "They're as good as dead as far as the Master is concerned."

"Then who…?" Iggy wondered out loud.

There was the click of a gun near my head. I raised my hands slightly above my head and turned to face the traitor I had suspected since the beginning. "I suppose that's why you've acted as such… _Anne_."

Yes, to complete the Red-Haired Trio, was none other than Anne, Fang's beta and last to join his flock. She was holding a small handgun to my temple. The metal felt cold on my skin.

"It was my job. I had to act like I actually cared about whether or not you lived," she said with her rough, Irish-accented voice. "The Master is very good at… persuading people, though."

I shook my head. "So you betrayed your flock? Your family? Your own _brother_, just for some wealth?"

Anne nodded. "Eternal glory was my promise. As long as I get the child and then kill you once it's entirely viable."

"Anne," Allan whispered softly.

"Shut up!" she yelled at him.

Everyone had looks of shock and betrayal on their faces. Some were shaking their heads. Others were trying hard to stay still so the SuperErasers wouldn't shoot them.

"You said 'them,'" Slash pointed out. "So… who's the other?"

We all looked to one another, each of us wondering the same thing.

If Anne was the first to betray us_… were there more?_

**A/N: I almost ended the chapter there, but I'm too nice.**

There was another click of a gun, aimed yet again at me. We all looked in the direction…

And weren't surprised by what we saw.

"I knew it," I growled. "I knew I shouldn't have let you stay with the flock!"

Dylan let out a laugh. "Hah! Like anyone here would have guessed that _I _was behind this. Passing as a simpleton was easier than it looks. Especially when it came to fooling that stupid, ignorant, double-crossing, mind-reading seven-year-old."

"How long have you been planning this?" Iggy asked.

We all looked at him, curious about his answer. In fact, it was the ten-thousand dollar question.

He grinned, malice making his good-looking face pure evil. "Ever since I was born." He chuckled. "The plan was for Fang to die, leaving Max heart-broken and available. Then, I would swoop in and take Fang's place. Then we would… take it to the next level. Max would be carrying my child, and the Cult would have the first viable mutant-child." He sighed and shook his head. "But Fang got there first."

"But no matter," Anne chimed in. "As long as there's a viable child, we still get the glory." She grinned a predator's grin. "And then it will be experimented on. Just to make sure fertility runs in the family. That the species can survive. It shall be taught the Cult's ways."

Dylan and Anne smiled at each other. "Then we can at least be rid of our greatest enemies, and live together in the lap of luxury," Dylan added.

Fang and I glanced at each other. I hoped that he could see the fear I was trying hard to show. He gave a barely perceptible shake of his head. It meant: Don't move. Not yet.

Then I looked at Slash and Sarah. I hoped that the Cult didn't know about _their_ son, Perseus.

Dylan lifted a hand to his ear. A comm unit. He frowned and pulled away. "The Master wants us."

The Red-Haired Trio frowned, but nodded and left, the SuperErasers following in suit.

As soon as they were out of earshot, I glanced at the troops. "We need to move."


	33. Back History

**Hello, my loyal fanbase!**

**Because of all the **_**wonderful**_** reviews that I got (mostly about the whole down with Dylan and Red-Haired Trio issue (I can totally relate)), I have decided to update **_**2**_** chapters today!**

**Beware: There will be more familiar faces to come! Dun, dun, dun!**

Chapter 33: Back History

FPOV

Not even two minutes after our confrontation with the traitors, we were on the run.

_Again._

"The closer we are to the Cult, the better," Max had told us. "They know we're in the area, so it makes more sense to get closer to them, and not farther away."

Now, as we were flying, Max was silent, a worried and pained look on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She looked at me, sighed, and shook her head. "I'm just…worried. I mean, if Dylan and Anne were traitors, does that mean that there are more? And if so, who? How many?"

I nodded. "I get it."

She sent me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about Anne."

I shook my head. "It's all right. I didn't trust her anyway." I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. "I'm not sorry about Dylan."

That made her smile. "I never did trust him."

_Fang, _the Voice said suddenly. I nearly jumped. If that's possible while you're flying. I hadn't heard from the Voice since I found out Max was pregnant. _You need to trust her army. They are the only ones you can trust._

_Well, _I thought back. _That's sort of a no _duh! _statement._

_Think beyond what you see, _the Voice chimed. (**A/N: Wasn't that from a movie or something? I can't remember.**) _If Dylan is involved with the Cult, then who else is?_

I thought for a moment. Then it hit me. If Dylan was involved, then Dr. Scary, his creator, had to be involved as well!

_Good, Fang, _the Voice whispered.

When we landed, ten miles north of the Cult, I told Max my findings.

"But," she muttered, "that can't be true! Dr. Gunther-Hagen-"

"Created Dylan," I interrupted. "Therefore, he controls what Dylan does. And that means that if Dr. Nightmare is working for the Cult, so is Dylan."

She shook her head in disappointment. "I can't believe it." Then her head snapped up. She fell silent.

I knew the Voice was talking to her. I was used to it by now.

She shook her head again. "The Voice says that Mr. Chu is working for the Cult as well. Along with a few others. It didn't tell me who, though."

I nodded. "All right. So we can expect to see a few familiar faces."

"Hey, guys?" Mark, from Slash's pride, called over to us. "Can you come here for a moment?"

Max shot me a glance, then walked over to Mark, where he stood at the edge of a cliff. (We were currently hiding in some mountains that rimmed the valley where the Cult's base was.)

I went over to them.

"Oh. My. God," Max gasped.

Even though we were a good ten miles from the Cult, from here you could see the bonfires glowing in the gray of twilight. We could see outlines of several hundred people dancing around those fires.

I saw a pyramid in the midst of all this chaos. It had to be at least 300 feet tall. It looked like the ones I'd seen in the Yucatan.

"The Temple," Jacob said, coming up from behind us. "Used for religious sacrifices. It was designed to look like the ones they used in the times of the Maya. It has four sets of stairs. All the stairs add up to 365. It's also used as a calendar and an astronomy tower."

"What are they doing now?" Rachel asked, gripping his arm tightly.

Jacob stared closely at the scene. "It's the week of the Summer Solstice. Two more days until it comes."

Max stared at him. "It's already June 19th?"

Jacob nodded. "Yes." He paused for a moment. "On the day of the Summer Solstice, at sundown, they sacrifice six people, three men and three women, in honor of the gods. They do this every solstice and equinox."

Everyone stared at the bonfires. We were all thinking the same thing.

Two days from now, six innocent lives would be ended.

"What are they doing now?" Helen asked, her voice soft.

"They're having a feast," Jacob answered. "In honor of those that were chosen. They have one feast every night after the sacrifices are chosen." He shook his head. "Jake was supposed to be one of them, for the Spring Equinox. That was part of the reason why we left."

We all stared at Jacob. He sounded bitter and resentful. "My brother, Ato, was one of the one's chosen for the Summer Solstice three years ago." He sighed. "I was originally chosen though. You can take the place of someone of the same gender." He looked up into the sky. "But it's mostly if you're suicidal. He told me that he didn't want to see me get killed for the spoils of others. He told me I had a bigger future ahead of me… I now know what that is." He looked at Max. "It is to serve with you, Maximum."

Max put on a determined face and nodded. Then she looked at the ground. Seconds later, she looked up again, this time at the Cult.

"I've got to stop this," she whispered. "I've got to stop this before it begins."

**Cue ominous music! The plot thickens!**

**Review please! I likes getting' your reviews! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	34. Infiltration

**Hi again! Onward with the chapter!**

Chapter 34: Infiltration

MPOV

The next morning, I woke everyone up bright and early.

"All right everyone," I announce as they were eating breakfast, some deer that Allan had caught that same morning. "Today, we're gonna sneak into the Cult."

"Wait," Christina said, holding up one hand. "I thought our goal was to _fight _the Cult, not spy on them."

I nodded. "Yep. But first we have to find weak points. Size them up. Get a good look around."

Everyone nodded back.

I looked at Blake, who was the best at infiltration. He had acted as one of the Secret Service agents when Angel had gotten lost at the White House, so long ago now. (**A/N: From Book 2, just in case you don't know.**)

He came and stood a cordial distance from me. "To get inside of the Cult," he began. "We're going to need basic disguises." He held up some black cotton pants and shirts. "These are the basic uniforms of Cult apprentices. I managed to get enough of them last night.

"Secondly, you need to act like you're really a part of the Cult. To do that, all you have to do is shut up and do as you're told. Whether it's from a bishop or the Master himself. We don't want to attract any attention to ourselves.

"Thirdly, to _get_ in, we have to _sneak_ in. That means climbing in through air ducts." He looked around at us. "Before we left, Tatiana and Nudge hacked the Cult's computers remotely. They got maps of the Cult, which we're going to use to get around. We have drops points for each team. Teams have already been chosen." He held up a list. "No whining about who you end up with."

Laughter rang out in the clearing. There were some sarcastic whines and "Awwwww!"s.

Names were read off, and there was minor complaining about teams, but no one tried to trade.

"All alphas will be paired with betas," Blake said. He looked at Fang. "But since yours is a good-for-nothing traitor, no offence, we're pairing you with Max."

"None taken," Fang answered.

(line break)

Ten minutes later, we were all ready to go.

We had all changed into our Cult clothes, and were getting ready to get out of there.

"All right everyone," I said when the troops were assembled. "Let's roll."

I glanced at Fang. He nodded, a coldly determined look on his face. I nodded back.

We took running leaps off the cliff, and were airborne in seconds.

Our argument from two days ago had been unspokenly forgiven, so we were okay with being paired together.

"You nervous?" Fang asked me as we flew fast towards the Cult.

I nodded, then looked at him. "A little bit. You?"

He shrugged as much as he could while flying. "Sort of."

I smiled. "Good. 'Cause if you weren't, then I'd have to put you in a mental ward."

He chuckled. "This coming from the girl with the voice in her head.'

I laughed. "So says the boy with a voice in _his _head."

We laughed.

But all too soon, we were at the Cult.

I glanced at our map. Our landing sight was on building three.

"There," Fang said, pointing.

We landed on the rooftop without a sound. We managed to find the right air duct and unscrewed it.

"Here we go," I muttered.

We jumped into the duct…

And we were inside the Cult.

**Cue ominous music again! This is getting to be better than I thought! (Trust me, I had no intentions of ever writing this chapter, but I had no ideas. (CURSE YOU WRITERS BLOCK!)) **

**Because I love you all so much, I am going to add 2 more chapters today!**

**Only… 4 more chapters until Part Tres is complete! *squeals!* Yay! I shall begin Part 4 tomorrow!**

**Please review! For stopping whaling! (Speaking of which: Season finale of Whale Wars is this week! (Pete boards the Nishin Maru 2!)) I hate whaling and I'm sure most of the world agrees with me!**

**FOR THE WHALES!**

**-A$h**


	35. Inside ManI Mean Max

**Since I always forget… Disclaimer: Nowhere on my middle school ID card, Social Security Card, nor birth certificate does it say "James Patterson." Therefore, don't own, don't sue.**

Chapter 35: Inside Man…I Mean Max

FPOV

We crawled through the air vents with no sound whatsoever.

"Okay," I whispered to Max. "Just for the record, least favorite place: Air ducts of a potential threat to all of humanity or sewer tunnels of New York?"

She was silent before answering: "Still sewer tunnels of New York. Nothing will ever be as bad as that."

True, the tunnels were a lot dirtier than the lint-covered, dirt-smeared, spider-infested air vents of the Cult, but I wasn't complaining.

We had to stop several times to check the second map to find the right "drop zone" as we called it.

We unscrewed the grate for this one and dropped into the room.

There was no lights on, but thanks to our raptor vision, we had no trouble picking out shapes and objects.

We were in a computer room with carpet, so any sound we made was thankfully muffled.

"Put this on," Max whispered, handing me a black cloak with a hood.

I took it, eyed it, then stared at her.

"People in the Cult know who we are," she answered. "So it's best that it remains that no one knows who we are right now."

I nodded and donned the cloak. Max did the same.

Being sneaky, we crept out into the hallway. We pulled up the hoods of the cloaks.

It was dimly lit, but we had no trouble seeing. It was made entirely of metal, and red lights were the only lights there.

"We've only been here a few minutes," Max murmured. "But this place is already giving me the creeps."

I nodded slowly. "I know what you mean."

Underneath her cloak, I could see Max pressing a hand to her abdomen.

"What's wrong?" I asked, suddenly concerned.

"It's just…" she whispered. "I'm not sure of a lot of things."

"Like what?" I muttered.

She looked up at me. Her beautiful face looked eerie underneath the hood of the cloak and the red light illuminating it. "Like… how long do I have to deal with this? How long are our kind pregnant for?"

I looked at her and was just about to answer as a big-bellied old man and a SuperEraser turned a corner and headed straight for us.

We got out of the way and flattened ourselves against a wall.

"What are you two doing here?" the old man asked.

"We were…" I began, but I was out of excuses.

"We were just on our way to see the Master," Max answered.

The old man looked her over. "Really? Hm… You are a female, yes?"

Max nodded. "Yes."

The old man grinned. "Well then! That changes things! The Master is getting tired of his usual concubines! You are new, correct?"

She nodded. "Yes."

The old man laughed, and his belly jiggled with him. "Oh, how wonderful! You must come and visit _me _next! I'm getting tired of my own concubines!"

It was all I could not to snarl at the old man and strangle him.

Max laughed nervously. "Yes. I most certainly will."

The old man wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, well, I must be going now! The Consul must decide how to kill this batch of sacrifices. There have been rumors going about that they are going to be burned alive!"

Max and I bowed.

The old man and the SuperEraser left.

"That was close," Max whispered.

"Too close," I said back.

We looked at each other and shuddered at the thought of what the Master did the girls of the Cult.

When we were certain we were out of earshot of the old man, who we knew now to be a member of the Supreme Consul, I stopped her and said, "Look, Max, I'm not sure of those things too. But you know what? We'll know when we know. Right now, all that matters is that we're together and we're going to take down the Cult."

Max gave me a determined look and nodded. "Let me guess: Because you know everything?"

I nodded and she laughed quietly.

But, before we could move again, Max gasped in pain and doubled-over.

I caught her before she could fall. "Max! What's wrong?"

Here eyes were clenched shut and her teeth gritted. "Just some pain." She opened her eyes and looked at me. "It's just been getting worse and worse."

When the pain had receded, we continued to walk down the seemingly endless hallways.

"Hey! You there!" a voice called from behind us. "Stop right where you are!"

Max and I glanced at each other. I could see the fear in her eyes.

Then we took off running.

**Since I love adding the scary music in… Dun, dun, dun! Will they get caught? Find out in the next installment of… "Maximum Ride Book 7!"**

**LOL! Anywhoo, since I'm so bored it isn't funny anymore, I'll just do the rest of Part 3 today and get it out of the way. So expect awesomeness!**

**Again, FOR THE WHALES, review! Please!**

**-A$h**


	36. I'm Having Another Luke I am Your

**Just gonna get right on with the story.**

Chapter 36: I'm Having Another "Luke, I am your Father" Moment

MPOV

As we ran through the hallways, trying to keep away from the speaker, I wondered out loud to Fang, "How did they find us so quickly?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

I glared at him and said sarcastically, "I thought you knew everything?"

He did his half-smile thing.

The sounds of footsteps disappeared behind us.

We slowed to a walk.

"That was close," I gasped.

"Whoever said you got away?" the voice said, this time right in front of us.

Fang and I got into battle stances, ready to rip this person's head off.

"Wait! It's me!"

"Wait," I muttered. "I know that voice. _Jeb_?"

Before either of us could attack, Jeb Batchelder, my biological father, pulled back the hood of his cloak.

"What are you doing here?" Fang snarled.

Jeb held up a hand to silence him. "I'm here to help you." He shot me an apologetic glance. "And also to warn you."

"What do you mean?" I asked, not wavering from my battle stance.

"It's about the current Master of the Cult," he said. He glanced around. "Here, come with me."

He pulled the hood of his cloak back up and led us through several hallways.

He opened a door and whispered, "Nasapay."

I sighed with relief, thankful that he still remembered the secret language Fang, Iggy, and I had made up to keep him from getting us in trouble. But he had found out anyway, and we got in twice as much trouble for it. Now we used it as the flock's secret language for when we didn't want others to find out what we were talking about.

Fang and ducked inside. Jeb turned on a light. It was a supply closet.

"So what's this all about?" Fang asked, his voice revealing nothing.

"I didn't want to tell you this Max," Jeb began. "But you have to know. Especially now that we know that the Master is after your child."

"What?" I asked, my hand instantly moving to my womb. "What didn't you want to tell me?"

Jeb took a deep breath. "There is a connection. Between yourself and the Master." He looked up at us. "Maximum… the Master of the Cult is your grandfather."

I swear I nearly fainted on the spot, but Fang gripped my waist and shoulders. I could almost see Jeb grimacing at that touch.

"The Master…" I stammered. "I-is my…gr-grandfather?"

Jeb nodded. "Yes. He was my father, and is therefore your grandfather."

I held my head in one hand. "I'm having another 'Luke, I am your father' moment."

Jeb put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "I know this is hard for you to take in. Especially with the betrayals of Dylan and Anne. But this is on a need-to-know basis. And you _need to know_."

I felt faint. My head was pounding. My blood felt cold in my veins. "I can't believe it."

"That's all I needed to tell you," Jeb said. He glanced around nervously. "You need to get out of here. There's an air vent right above us. Use your map and get out."

Fang nodded. "All right."

Jeb nodded and left.

**By far, this my favorite title of a chapter yet! I came up with it while I was talking to myself while brushing my hair on Saturday. (Trust me, I do that a lot.)**

**This is a highly-important chapter! Everything changes after it!**

**Every time you review now, it's for the whales. PLEASE? I can't STAND whaling! (And I'm sure you can't either!)**

**-A$h**


	37. Battle Plans

**Epic chapter everybody!**

Chapter 37: Battle Plans

FPOV

I felt really bad for Max. First two of her army turn out to be traitors, then she finds out her granddad wants her dead and to capture our child.

I didn't blame her for almost fainting.

"I need to sit down," Max said, her voice so quiet that I almost didn't hear her.

I set her down on the floor and knelt next to her.

"I can't believe this," she whispered, holding her head in her hands.

I pulled her to me. "I know. I'm just as shocked as you are."

She pulled away and looked me in the eyes. "What are we going to do now? We're going to have to rethink everything."

I thought carefully for a moment. "I don't know. How about this: We head back to camp and tell the others. Then we'll figure out what to do."

She nodded. "That sounds great."

(line break)

Ten minutes later, we were back at camp. There were a few others, but most hadn't returned yet.

"What's wrong, Max?" Britt asked. "You look really pale, like you saw a ghost or something."

Max looked up at her. "Sort of. I'll tell you when everyone gets back."

Once everyone was back, there was an exchange of information.

"There's a blind spot in building five," Ryan informed us. "There's a security camera near one corner, but if you go far enough, they can't see you. And that's right near a door."

"That'll be useful," Max pointed out weakly. She was still in shock from that little bomb Jeb had dropped on her.

"What did you guys find, Fang?" Drew, a boy from Jordan's pod, asked.

Max and I glanced at each other. "Not much," I said. "We had to clear out of there."

"Why?" San Ju asked. "What did you find?"

I glanced at Max; she was staring at her feet. "We found out something about the Master." I took a deep breath. "He's Max's grandfather."

There were indrawn gasps of shock and surprise.

"Oh, dear!" Sarah cried. She went over to Max and pulled her into a hug. Max gladly accepted it. Over the last few days, Sarah had become sort of this older-sister figure to Max.

Since Sarah was hugging Max, it was only natural that Sophia and Sabrina joined.

"If that is the case," Slash said with his thick English accent. "Then we will be needing to make new plans."

"I agree," Iggy added. "Max won't be able to kill someone from her own family. We're going to need to rethink everything. Every possible solution will need to be considered."

I couldn't think of what he might mean by all. But then it hit me.

I snarled at him, "Don't you _dare _think of-"

Iggy held up his hands in a universal, "hold your horses" gesture. "I wasn't talking about handing over Max! You know I'd never do that!"

I backed off. "Good. Or else I'd have to hurt you."

There was quiet laughter.

"If we need to rethink everything," Chloe said. "Then I say that we attack tonight."

"No!" Jordan said. "Max is in no condition to fight tonight. And we will need her to lead us on the battlefield." He thought for a moment. "How about this: We attack tomorrow. Nothing would be more symbolic than the Summer Solstice. There will also be more light to fight by than normal, as it is the longest day of the year."

"That makes sense," Allan put in. "It would be strategically better for us." He looked at Max. "How long until you are able to fight?"

Sarah looked up at Allan. "She should be able to fight by tomorrow. Unless this so affects her that she is unable to fight for several days."

"No," Max said, surprising all of us. "I want to save those people. The people who have been chosen for sacrifice. They deserve to live."

She stood up, her frame tall and sleek. "We attack at sundown tomorrow."

The cheers of the troops could be heard a mile away.

But thankfully not ten miles away.

**I like this chapter. But not as much as the next one! It's my favorite! (Trust me! All of you are gonna love it!)**

**No… It's not the battle that will decide the fate of our heroes. But it does have a lot to do with what will happen later, more towards the end.**

**FOR THE WHALES!**

**-A$h**


	38. Imprinting

**Disclaimer: (insert clever disclaimer here).**

Chapter 38: Imprinting

Nudge POV

It had been two days since the others had left, and already the rest of us who had been left behind were getting worried.

"This sucks!" Gazzy shouted, kicking a wall.

"Oh really?" Dallas, a boy from Jordan's pod, said sarcastically. "And when did that occur to you?"

Gazzy shot him a death glare.

I sighed and went back to doodling in a notebook.

Wait… Only Max used notebooks. And that was for her stories and drawings.

Oops. She was gonna kill me!

I sighed again. Oh well. Not like she would care anymore. She had far more important things to worry about than stories or drawings. She had to worry about the lives of 55 other people, if you counted her and Fang's unborn kid. (**A/N: Remember, those that stayed behind don't know about Dylan and Anne being traitors. Thus it brings the number to 53.**)

I really missed Allan. He had been so nice to me, and hadn't treated me like a little kid, like this one boy a year older than me at that school in Virginia had. He treated me like I was older than I was.

I smiled to myself. I really liked him. (**A/N: And thus, Nallan is born. Do you know that if you spell Nallan backwards, it still spells Nallan? I thought that was really cool when I did that!**) I wondered if he was okay. Or…if… he was even still alive?

_Don't think about that, Nudge! _I scolded myself. _You know he'll come back. He promised!_

But on the inside, I was wondering if _any _of them were gonna come back.

I shook my head, bringing myself out of La La Land and back into reality.

"Nudge?" said a sweet, little girl voice from near my elbow. I looked and saw that it was Haley. "Can you do my hair?"

I smiled. "Sure, Haley!"

Haley was _soooo _cute! I wondered where Fang had found her. She was so sweet.

The first night that the others had been gone, she had come into my room, crying, complaining of a nightmare.

I put Haley on my lap and started to brush out the little tangles she had gotten from flying with Tatiana that afternoon.

Haley loved to fly. And she was really good at it too. She was better than _I _was when I had first learned to fly.

I started to do a braid when Haley said, "I miss Fang."

I stopped braiding her hair for a second. "We all do, Haley. We all do."

She looked up at me, her big, multi-colored eyes wide and innocent. "I miss Max, too."

I gave her a sympathetic look. "I miss her too."

"No," Haley said. "I miss her lots."

"I miss her a lot too," I said.

I twisted a hairband onto the end of the braid. Haley turned to face me and shook her head. "Nuh-uh." She looked around as if to make sure no one was listening. "I has nightmares that they don't come back."

I stared at her for a second. Her little heart-shaped face was set and determined. "Hm…" I murmured. "I see what you mean."

Haley was quiet for a moment before she said, "Can I go out and play with Emma?" (Emma was and eight-year-old Amazon.)

"Sure," I said.

Haley squealed with delight, jumped off my lap, and ran out the door.

I sat at the kitchen table, quietly contemplating Haley's insistence that no one missed Max and Fang more than her.

"What's wrong, Nudge?" Dr. Martinez asked, coming to sit at the table with me.

Dr. M had decided to stay here as long as it took for the others to return. The same with Ella. Jeb, however, left around the same time the older ones did.

I looked at her. She looked like an older version of Max. Only with much darker hair. "It's Haley. She… there's something going on with her."

Dr. M nodded. "I heard the whole thing." She took a sip of coffee. "And I believe I know why she has been off."

"Really?" I asked.

Dr. M nodded solemnly. "Mhm. She is Avian-American, correct?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then, along with the wings, bone structure, and body structure, she will have inherited several avian habits. Such as the internal compass, raptor vision, and raptor hearing."

"Where are you going with this?" I asked.

Dr. M looked me in the eyes when she said, "I believe that Haley has imprinted on Max and Fang."

Huh? "Imprinted?" I asked. "Like, what werewolves do to people they fall in love with?"

Dr. M laughed. "No, no! Nothing like that! Imprinting is what chicks do to their parents when they are born. It means that they entirely depend on them until they leave the nest."

"Oh," I muttered.

"It is also, I believe, why Max and Fang are so close."

I stared at her. "What?"

"All avians imprint," Dr. M explained. "You, Gazzy, and Angel all have imprinted on Max, so that is why she is such a maternal figure to you. But both Max and Fang lack a maternal figure. So, they did what came natural, they imprinted on each other, the only ones they could depend on. That is why they are so close and so dependent on each other.

"But there is also another form of imprinting. It is called courtship. I have come to believe that Max and Fang have done this sort of imprinting. It means that they are mated for life."

I stared at the table. "Soul mates."

Dr. M nodded. "Yes. That is why Max and Fang are so depressed when they are away from each other. They need each other to survive. If one of them is away for too long, they will both die of a broken heart.'

I nodded slowly. "Sort of like why people always need two lovebirds. If you only have one, that one will die." (**A/N: Lovebirds are a small, colorful songbird. They are called lovebirds because they cannot survive without having a partner.**)

"Yes. It is actually quite common among all birds.

I looked up, "So both Max and Fang nearly died when Fang left."

She nodded again. "Yes, again. If Fang had stayed away for any longer than they had, both of them would have died."

"It sounds so romantic," I sighed.

This made Dr. M laugh. "In fact, I believe that Iggy has imprinted on Ella." She eyed me carefully. "And Allan on you."

I looked out the window. "I really hope they come back."

Dr. M put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "They will. All of them have strong hearts. They all want one thing: To come home."

**All right. A note of explanation about this chapter: I have subconsciously been forming this secondary plot with Haley. Trust me, she plays a key role in this story. I didn't just create her because I wanted a cute and cuddly character in Fang's flock. She has a purpose.**

**Also, remember Slash and Sarah's son, Perseus? I made a little error with his age! He's not seven months, he's really four years old. Sorry for the confusion! Perseus will not be directly featured in **_**this**_** story, but I he will play an important role in the sequel. Yes, the sequel. I am writing one.**

**But more info on that later.**

**FOR THE WHALES!**

**-A$h**


	39. Overview Ages, Countries Of Story

**This an overview of the entire story. It's just to give you a basic idea of where our heroes are from, how old they are, etc.**

**Max's Flock**

_**Alpha: Maximum Ride Age: 15 Born: Arizona, USA**_

_**Beta: Iggy Age: 15 Born: Washington, D.C., USA**_

_**Others:**_

_**Dylan Age: 16 (I made him older. Sorry!) Born: Canada**_

_**Nudge Age: 12 Born: Arizona USA**_

_**The Gasman Age: 9 Born: Virginia, USA**_

_**Angel Age: 7 Born: Virginia, USA**_

_**Aria Ride Age: Newborn Born: Colorado, USA**_

**Fang's Flock**

_**Alpha: Fang Age: 15 Born: New York City, USA**_

_**Beta: Anne (We all know she's a traitor now, but I wrote the overview before that.) Age: 14 Born: Ireland**_

_**Others:**_

_**Allan Age: 14 Born: Ireland**_

_**Panther Age: 13 Born: India**_

_**Tatiana Age: 10 Born: Russia**_

_**Tiger Age: 7 Born: Russia**_

_**Haley Age: 3 Born: Utah, USA**_

_**Perseus (The son of Slash and Sarah (Not a bird-kid)) Age: 4 Born: France**_

**Jacob's Pack**

_**Alpha: Jacob Age: 21 Born: Canada**_

_**Beta: Daniel Age: 19 Born: Hawaii, USA**_

_**Others:**_

_**Zac Age: 17 Born: Germany**_

_**Connor Age: 20 Born: Sweden**_

_**Britt Age: 16 Born: California, USA**_

_**Que Age: 17 Born: Illinois, USA**_

_**Miguel Age: 18 Born: Mexico**_

_**Skye Age: 16 Born: Chile**_

_**Jerome Age: 17 Born: Puerto Rico**_

_**Austin Age: 13 Born: Minnesota, USA**_

_**Andrew Age: 11 Born: Nevada, USA**_

_**Jake Age: 9 Born: Mexico**_

**Slash's Pack**

_**Alpha: Slash Age: 21 Born: England**_

_**Beta: Claw Age: 20 Born: England**_

_**Others:**_

_**Kiana Age: 12 Born: Sri Lanka**_

_**Jay Age: 14 Born: Whales**_

_**Kay Age: 14 Born: Whales**_

_**Blake Age: 18 Born: Normandy**_

_**Rob (Kiana's older brother) Age: 18 Born: Sri Lanka**_

_**Mark Age: 14 Born: Jerusalem**_

_**Charlie Age: 12 Born: Canada**_

_**Alexandria (Alex) Age: 10 Born: Egypt**_

_**Nicole Age: 13 Born: Iraq**_

_**Alisha Age: 14 Born: Iran**_

**Kyle's Pod**

_**Alpha: Kyle Age: 20 Born: Papua New Guinea**_

_**Beta: Sydney Age: 19 Born: Australia**_

_**Others:**_

_**Ryan Age: 15 Born: Scotland**_

_**Bryan Age: 15 Born: Scotland**_

_**Lucas Age: 17 Born: Argentina**_

_**Vickie Age: 16 Born: Philippines**_

_**Cole Age: 16 Born: Nepal**_

_**Mike Age: 15 Born: Tanzania**_

_**Willow Age: 14 Born: Chad**_

**Jordan's Pod**

_**Alpha: Jordan Age: 22 Born: Uganda**_

_**Beta: Noah Age: 20 Born: Angola**_

_**Others:**_

_**Troy Age: 15 Born: Greece**_

_**Dallas Age: 11 Born: Albania**_

_**Destiny Age: 16 Born: Namibia**_

_**Rachel Age: 20 Born Kenya**_

_**Drew Age: 13 Born: South Africa**_

_**Noel Age: 12 Born: Saudi Arabia**_

_**Derrick Age: 4 Born: Ethiopia**_

**Gen. 77 Amazons**

_**Alpha: Chloe Age: 20 Born: Belize**_

_**Beta: Christina Age: 17 Born: Guatemala**_

_**Others:**_

_**Caroline Age: 19 Born: Barbados**_

_**Marie Age: 17 Born: France**_

_**Emily Age: 11 Born: Panama**_

_**Madison Age: 19 Born: Brazil**_

_**Emma Age: 9 Born: Taiwan**_

_**Sophia Age: 18 Born: Italy**_

_**Sarah Age: 18 Born: Italy**_

_**Sabrina Age: 18 Born: Italy**_

_**Audrey Age: 19 Born: Japan**_

_**Isabelle Age: 21 Born: Mongolia**_

_**Helen Age: 16 Born: Turkey (Not kidding. That's a country. And there's a country named Hungary (pronounced "Hungry") near it. I am not kidding about any of this. Check your world history text book.)**_

_**Brooke Age: 13 Born: China**_

_**Taylor Age: 11 Born: Portugal**_

_**San Ju Lee Age: 15 Born: South Korea**_

**Now, I made everyone from different countries (I'm trying to make everyone as diverse as I can! But I can't possibly do every single country in the world.) from every continent. The theme of this story is simple: Even though we may come from different places and speak different languages and look different, we're all the same. Human. Our hearts beat as one. We're ALL connected, whether or not we like it. Fighting about what religion we have or who our monarch is is entirely pointless. The way I see it: If we all come together, as ONE, then we can save the world. No wings required. We can put an END to world hunger. We can STOP the fighting in Iraq. We can STOP people from being corrupted by power and wealth. **

**Freedom is not free. WE THE KIDS are the next generation. WE can end all of the suffering and diseases.**

**ARE YOU WITH ME?**

**-A$H**


	40. Powers

**Al-righty. Just want to get this updated since you all begged me.**

**Bold= Author's Notes (as usual)**

_**Bold Italics= Fang's thoughts**_

_Underlined Italics=The Voice_

_Italics=Max's thoughts_

Part 4: Savior

Chapter 39: Powers

MPOV

After slightly getting over the shock of finding out that the Master of the Cult is my grandfather, everyone was preparing for the battle tomorrow.

While I was examining a ten-inch dagger, wondering how much damage I could do with a weapon like this, Fang walked up to me.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

The baby nudged again.

Since I was used to it by that point, I just ignored it.

I sighed at him. "You know, the last time you 'wanted to talk to me' it ended pretty badly."

Fang chuckled. "No. I promise it won't this time."

I laughed darkly, but followed him several hundred yards from camp.

"Let's have it out," I sighed, gesturing for him to speak.

"Max, are you sure you want to fight tomorrow?" he asked. "I won't hold it against you if you say no."

I stared solemnly at him. "I'm absolutely certain. I want to save the lives of those that have been chosen for sacrifice. They don't deserve to die."

Fang nodded. "Max, I—"

But before he could finish, both of us collapsed. My head felt like it was going to implode! (**A/N: Implode is worse than exploding, for those of you who don't know. Basically it's what you feel like after you've just crammed for a test.**) It had to be worse than the brain attacks I got when the Voice first appeared.

I shut my eyes. The light was splintering and painful. Even the slightest shift in movement made me feel like I was going to hurl.

Suddenly, I could hear a voice in my head. It wasn't _the _Voice. It sounded oddly familiar. Like… I had heard it in a dream or a movie.

It was swearing a blue streak (**A/N: LOL! Quote from Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, my absolute favorite of the series!**)

_What's going on? _I thought hysterically.

_**Who the (insert swear-word here) are you?**_ the voice (still not the actual voice) said angrily.

_I am Maximum Ride! _I answered. _Who are _you_?_

_**Max!**_the new voice said in my head.

_No, I'm Max! Now answer the question!_

_**It's Fang!**_the new voice practically shouted in my head.

_Fang! What's going on?_

_**I don't know. But I'm gonna find out.**_

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the pain was gone.

I opened my eyes and uncurled myself gently from my fetal position. I saw Fang, on his knees, clutching his head.

"Fang," I murmured soothingly. I crawled over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

He let go of his head slowly and looked up at me, his eyes dark and foreboding.

"How do you feel?" I asked, my voice gentle.

He chuckled. "Just fine. But it's you who I'm worried about."

I shrugged and said dryly, "I'm used to it."

"I wonder what that was all about," I said out loud.

_Well,_ the real Voice said. _You and Fang have always shared a special ability. The ability to understand each other without even speaking. Now you share a new bond. The bond of telepathy. You can speak to each other through your minds._

Fang and I glanced at each other. "Did you…?" I asked. He nodded.

_I wonder how this works, _I thought.

As if to answer me, I heard Fang's voice in my head. _**Obviously we just have to think and it automatically happens.**_

I groaned out loud. Just what I needed. To have Fang be able to read my mind in a moments notice.

Please note the sarcasm.

That was when we heard the scream.

And it was coming from camp.

Sometimes the world just hates me.

**Cue scary music: Dun, dun, dun!**

**I know, I know! Cliffie! I'm working on getting the next chapter written, so please don't freak out on me! I don't want any heart attacks to be on me!**

**We just had a severe thunderstorm warning! Yay! (No, really. I'm excited. (Don't ask. I'm just naturally weird! (Don' be a hate-a!)))**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, Whales, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	41. Warning

**I horribly sorry for the long update! But I'm almost done with Part 4! Should be done by next week!**

**Anywhoo… I'm high on ice cream right now, so I'm gonna act a little crazy. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Diana-Bo-Banna, who had so faithfully reviewed many times over the weekend! Thanks for reviewing!**

**Onward and upward!**

Chapter 40: Warning

FPOV

Max and I only had to exchange one look before running back to camp.

When we got there, the first thing we saw was everyone being held at gunpoint.

"Put your hands above your head," a deep, growly voice said from behind me.

Normally, I'm not one to take orders, even from Max. But, having a pistol loaded and aimed point-blank at your head changes everything in an instant.

So, naturally, I did what I was told.

"Well, well, well," said Lissa. "We meet yet again."

Max actually chuckled. "You keep showing up like a bad penny. (**A/N: Quote from the Angel Experiment!**)

Anne scowled at her, her pale, freckled face scrunching up menacingly. "Shut up, Max!"

I resisted the urge to laugh. Tell Maximum Ride to shut up, and she speaks. Something I learned all too well as a child.

But that's a story for another time.

"What do you want with us?" Panther asked calmly.

"This has nothing to do with you, Cat Man," Brigid snarled. "This is a family matter."

You could see the looks of sympathy and anger on the faces of the troops. They didn't want Max to be going through this as much as I did.

Panther growled at the cat comment.

Pretty Boy (a.k.a.: Dylan), chuckled. "How cute. The little kitten purred!"

Panther bared his canines.

"Enuff!" a thick, German-accented voice that sounded like the Governator. (**A/N: What us Californians call Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor. Or at least my family does.**)

Max looked at me and grinned hugely. She turned back to the speaker. "Nice to see you again ter Borcht," she said snidely.

Dr. Roland ter Borcht stepped out of the shadows and sneered. Was it me, or had this guy gained more weight, if that's even possible?

"You haf disappointed me, Maximum," ter Borcht went on. "I had thought that you wood be dead by now, ya?"

"The same with you," Max said sarcastically, smiling conversationally.

The slightest muscle in ter Borcht's cheek tightened. "Nussing you can say will make me ongry. (**A/N: I tested the accent out, and that's how he would say "angry."**) It is razzar my superior that you are upsetting."

I heard Iggy stifle a snort. I was resisting the urge to burst out laughing myself.

"Dr. ter Borcht," a new, scarily familiar voice said sternly. "That will be all."

Ter Borcht scowled, but backed off.

"It's so nice to see you again, Max," said the speaker. "But it makes me sad that you never called me."

Max's brow furrowed in mighty concentration. _Where have I heard that voice? _she thought to me.

_**Dunno, **_I thought back. _**But it sounds horribly familiar.**_

The speaker stepped out from the tree line, and I had to mightily restrain myself from ripping his throat out.

It was Sam, the possible traitor from the school in Virginia. The guy whose guts I hated, but not nearly as much as Pretty Boy's and Max's first boyfriend.

Max sent Traitor/Dork Boy a death glare. He didn't even flinch.

"What are _you _doing here?" she demanded scathingly.

Dork Boy sighed and began to pace around the clearing, circling Max like a vulture.

"I just… had to visit my unofficial ex-girlfriend," he said. He shot me a look that can only be described as pure murder. I found it pretty funny. "But I can see you've already moved on."

It was becoming harder not to leap forward and rip his windpipe cheerily out of his neck and tear him limb from limb. Then burn the pieces. Then scatter the ashes in shark-infested waters. That had been chummed.

Boy, did that sound like a good idea right now.

"What do you really want?" Max asked carefully.

Dork Boy grinned evilly at her. "I came to warn you."

"Of what?" I snarled, mentally ripping out his spine and whipping him with it for all eternity.

"That if Max does not hand herself over to the Cult," Dork Boy continued, "we will kill her and the child. Slowly. Painfully. Brutally."

I stiffened. I saw Max glance at me out of the corner of her eye.

"You have twenty-four hours," he said.

Then, he and the Red-Haired Trio, Pretty Boy, ter Borcht, and the SuperErasers disappeared into the shadows like wraiths.

**And because I love you all so much, I'm gonna do two more chapters today!**

**Also, I'm going to be writing a sequel. And that means that I'll be needing titles. I won't give you the summary until I have this story finished, and then I'll accept titles. Over PM, and then I'll pick my favorites and make a poll out of it so you, the reviewers, can choose. Whatever's most popular by... whenever I feel like it will be the winner.**

**Review? Please? For the dolphins this time.**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, Maximum Ride, Whales, and Dolphins.**

**-A$h**


	42. Nightmares Reprise!

**This chappie's all about Haley! Since you all love her so much, I just thought that I'd do one all about her!**

Chapter 41: Nightmares (Reprise!)

Haley's POV

_I was standing in the same place where I was when I first met Fang. It was dark, and the moon wasn't out._

_I felt really scared. I thought I would start crying._

_Then, I heard Max's laugh._

_I turned around and saw Max and Fang. They were both smiling at me._

"_Come here," Max said, her voice making me feel happy. The sun came out._

_I laughed and ran at her. I hugged her hard. She and Fang both hugged me back._

_A boy, a little older than I was, was hugging me too. He had dark brown hair and lightish-dark skin. _(**A/N: That's Haley's way of saying that he had olive-toned skin.**)_ He looked like the one man that had come to Max's house. What was his name again?_

_Oh yeah! Slash! But he also looked like the woman who had come with Slash._

_He looked at me with blue eyes that made my skin tingle. He smiled at me. _

_I smiled back._

_I looked up at Max and Fang. "I'm so happy you guys come back!"_

_Fang smiled at me. "We will always come back, Haley."_

_I beamed at him._

_A baby girl wrapped in a white blanket appeared in Max's arms. She looked at lot like Max and Fang. _

_The baby opened her eyes._

_But they weren't black or brown, like Max and Fang's._

_They were blue._

_Like Dylan's._

_Max, Fang, the boy, and the baby disappeared._

_A cold, horrible laughter surrounded me along with darkness._

_I fell down on my knees. Tears were falling from my eyes._

"_Max!" I shouted. "Fang!"_

_No one answered._

_Laughter again._

"_Silly girl!" the voice said. "They will die!"_

I opened my eyes, a cold shiver waking me up and scaring me more from the scary dream.

I started to cry. I was lying in Fang's bed, in Fang's room.

A lighted turned on in the hallway. The door opened and Max's mom, Grandma as she liked me to call her, came in.

She pulled me into a hug. "Oh, Haley! What's wrong?"

I sobbed as I said, "I had a scary dream!"

Grandma shushed me, told me it was okay, and rocked me until I couldn't cry anymore.

"Now tell me what your dream was about," she said.

I gulped in a breath. "I-I dreamed that I was alone in the woods. Then, Max and Fang were there. And this little boy. They hugged me."

I swallowed. "Then this baby appeared in Max's arms. She looked like Max and Fang. But when she opened her eyes, they were Dylan's eyes."

More tears.

"Then this person started laughing. Max, Fang, the baby, and the boy were gone. I was alone in the dark. It said that they were going to die!" I sobbed.

Grandma shushed me and rocked me some more.

"Oh, Haley," she whispered. "It's going to be okay. They're going to come back."

"Do you know who the boy was? Or the baby?" I asked.

Grandma looked down at me. "I don't know who the boy was." She stopped for a second. "But there's something you need to know."

I looked up at her. "What?"

She smiled. "Max is going to have a baby."

My eyes widened. "She _is_?" I felt really happy. Max was the bestest person _ever_. She deserved to have a baby.

Grandma nodded. "Yes."

I thought for a second, then felt like crying again. "Oh." This baby would be hers and Fang's. I belonged to no one.

Grandma cuddled me. "But you know what?"

I looked up at her. "What?"

She smiled, looking a lot like Max. "You're as good as a daughter to them."

I smiled back. It made me feel happy to know I was as good as theirs. I liked to feel wanted and loved.

Grandma kissed my forehead. "Now get some sleep."

I nodded, snuggled under the covers and closed my eyes.

I fell asleep dreaming that I was with Max and Fang.

**Alright-y then. One more chapter for today, and then more tomorrow. I want to build up the tension for the end. Mwahahahaha! I know. I'm evil.**

**-A$h**


	43. Preparations

**Last chapter for today!**

Chapter 42: Preparations

MPOV

The next day, everyone was getting ready for battle.

All of us had brought a variety of weapons. Like Allan. He had innumerable swords, guns, arrows, etc.

Fang and I were pretty good with throwing knives. We could hit a target from about a hundred-and-fifty feet away.

Iggy, of course, managed to sneak bombs without my having a clue. (I still had no idea how he did that.)

The rest of us were going to have to fight the old fashioned way. With flying fists and kicks.

I glanced around, making sure no one was watching. Then I slipped the same dagger I had been examining yesterday into my boot. You never knew when you were going to need an extra weapon.

When we had gone to that school in Virginia, part of the PE curriculum was archery. I had discovered that I was pretty darn good at it. So I picked up a longbow and a quiver full of arrows and slung them over my shoulders. (**A/N: That's what we did at my old school. It was fun! My teach told us that if we made it dead center, she would give us a dollar. On my last arrow, I made it! It was kind of cool.**)

When everyone was done picking out weapons, Slash walked over to me. "They're all nervous," he whispered in his English-accented voice.

I looked at him, sighed, and tied my hair back in a ponytail. "They're brave for wanting to do this."

He nodded. "Yes."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "Do you think I should make a speech? Or would that be too corny?"

Slash shrugged. "I think that they could use some encouragement."

I sighed again. "All right."

I stood on top of a pile of rocks. "Listen up!" I shouted.

Everyone turned to look at me. I glanced around. Fang was standing just to my right. I felt better knowing he was here to cheer me on.

"Thank you all for doing this," I said. "I can't tell you how much it means to me."

A few people cheered. I smiled.

(**A/N: I'm not very good with motivational speeches, so please bear with me.**)

"I know you're all nervous," I continued. "But today we find out who we truly are.

"I know some of you have done things in your pasts that you aren't proud of. But today, you can change that. You can fight for the freedom of yourselves. The liberty that you were born with.

"And I know that we had that freedom and liberty taken away from us. But we can take that BACK! The enemy thinks that we are weak. That we are defenseless and simple-minded.

"But today, you can prove them WRONG! Will they see the children that were forced into cages? No! They will see our faces, shining with our new-found freedom! They will hear our cries, shouting of the pain that we have faced! They will feel our power, and they will know what we can do!

"So, my friends, I ask one thing of you. ARE YOU WITH ME?"

I have to admit, it was really heart-warming to hear the blood-thirsty battle cries of the troops.

I grinned at them. "Let's ride!"

I snapped out my wings with an almighty _whoosh!_ Fang, Iggy, Allan, and Panther followed my lead.

Jacob's pack transformed into wolves and howled.

Slash's pack growled and snarled, now in the forms of various cats.

Everyone else shouted battle-cries.

With a sort of finality, we began our march to assault the Cult.

**Cue ominous music! Dun, dun, dun!**

**But don't worry. I'll update tomorrow!**

**Review? Please!**

**-A$h**


	44. The Battle Truly Begins

**Here we go for the next chapter! Thanks to all of you that reviewed!**

Chapter 43: The Battle Truly Begins

FPOV

"Are you nervous?" I asked Max as we flew to the Cult.

She looked at me and grinned. "Sort of. But I'm mostly ready to tear any SuperErasers apart."

I nodded. "Good. 'Cause if you weren't, I'd think you were crazy."

She smiled and looked forward.

That was when we heard the first whine of a bullet streaking past us.

I saw Max's big brown eyes widen. We only had to exchange one look before nodding and doing evasive maneuvers.

"You ready for this?" Allan asked any of us who were flying.

Various nods and shrieks of gulls answered him.

"Let's land," I suggested.

Max nodded and we descended.

We were standing near the troops. We were about two hundred feet from the Cult's army.

I was shocked by what I saw.

Their army was huge. It had to be about three-hundred strong.

I saw regular Erasers, flying Erasers, Flyboys, those Transformer-bot things that the Uber Director used, M-Geeks, and mutants.

Max looked pale, but drew her bow and knocked an arrow.

Our army transformed back into regular human form. They all nodded to each other.

Then, an enormous sound resounded behind us.

We turned and found ourselves face-to-face with an army of mutants.

And at the lead was an old friend.

"Wassup?" Mike, the computer hacker from the New York subway tunnels, said, nodding at us.

Max stared at him in shock. "H-how…?"

Mike grinned and pointed to a woman standing behind him. "Mara here contacted me. Said that the mutants were gonna rebel. I wanted to be part of it, so here I am."

Max stared at the woman, Mara, and nodded her approval. "You're not working for the Director anymore?"

Mara shook her head. "No," her voice had a Persian accent to it. "I owed you and your family too much to turn my back on you."

Max smiled and bowed a little bit. "Well thank you. I can't tell you how much it means to me."

Max turned to Mike. "How many?"

He shrugged. "Two-hundred strong? I don't know. But we were hassled in California, I can tell you that much."

Max grinned, and turned back to the impending army.

Max looked at me and smiled. "Good luck," she whispered so only I could hear.

I decided that now couldn't be a better time, so I gave her one of my half-grins that she loved. "You too."

Her eyes lightened.

"ATTACK!" we heard someone from the Cult shout.

Then, with an almighty roar, the Cult's army ran at us.

"Battle up!" Max shouted.

Everyone got ready to attack.

"Good luck to you all," Max said.

Growls resonated within our army.

Then, Max let out a shriek of rage.

And we all attacked.

**I'm gonna do maybe two more chapters today. I don't know yet. But keep checking back. **

***Sob* This story only has a few more chapters left! We've come so far so fast! **

**Review? Please! That way I'll do the sequel.**

**-A$h**


	45. Fightin' Freedom Lovers

**This chapter's kinda long. But that makes it all the more exciting!**

Chapter 44: Fightin' Freedom Lovers

MPOV

Everything felt like it was going in extra-slow motion.

With a snarl written on my face, I drew back to bowstring and fired my first arrow right into the line of enemies coming at us.

An Eraser dropped to the ground, dead.

Everything seemed to speed up again as we collided.

I slung my bow on my shoulders again. No sense in wasting my arrows.

So I cocked back my fist and slammed it into the face of an Eraser.

Ah, just like old times.

I leaped up before it could get to me, grabbed its head with both hands, and twisted it, snapping its neck.

Snarling, I launched myself at my next enemy.

After nearly half-an-hour of brawling, my knuckles were bloodied, scraped, and bruised beyond recognition.

I glanced around. There had to be about a hundred enemies left.

But that was when I saw Troy go down.

I couldn't describe my shock as to seeing that.

A mutant had snuck up behind him, and slit his throat with a knife.

I felt a new anger make my blood sing.

I roared and ran at the mutant.

Seconds later, it was all over for that poor sucker.

I couldn't make myself look at poor Troy. He was only fifteen. My age.

I happily began tearing and slashing at my enemies.

Finally, I resorted to using my bow and arrow.

But it was all going down-hill.

Bryan, who had been fighting back-to-back with his twin Ryan, got stabbed in the stomach, dying instantly.

Rachel, Jacob's girlfriend, was battling an M-Geek when it shot her neatly in the forehead.

Destiny, who had been locked in combat with a SuperEraser, was overtaken by a pile of slashing claws and biting jaws.

I saw Zac, after I had snapped a Flyboy's spine, its weakness, take a bullet to the temple.

Brooke, a thirteen-year-old Amazon, took an arrow for her boyfriend, Mark.

Nicole and Austin were shot fighting a group of Transformer-bots.

I caught sight of Fang. We locked eyes. At that moment, the whole world seemed to slow down so much each second was a hundred years.

_Back-to-back, _I thought. He nodded.

We ran at each other and turned our backs, ready to die fighting next to each other.

"It's been a pleasure serving with you," I said, chucking a throwing knife into an Eraser's throat.

"And you," he said back, bashing a mutant's skull in with a sword.

That was when I saw Jeb, fighting an M-Geek. He was fighting on _our _side.

"Duck!" Fang shouted. I obeyed without a word, just as a Transformer-bot swung its arm over my head, intending to knock my head off my shoulders.

It felt just like old times. Fighting back-to-back with my best friend, taking out an army that had been made to destroy us.

Only, you know, we weren't just best friends anymore. I was pregnant. We were trying to save the world. It wasn't just Erasers.

We were so close to the Temple that I could see Pretty Boy, the Red-Haired Trio, and Dork Boy at the top. Along with some horribly familiar faces.

Traitor Anne Walker was there. Marian Janssen, or Crazy Old Ex-Mom as I like to call her. William Pruitt, the Headhunter, from that school/insane asylum in Virginia. Huh. Whataya know. Ol' Headhunter was _actually _evil. Not a surprise.

Gozen, the Uber Director's Frankenstein, was there, disgusting as ever. The Chuster was there too. And Dr. Gunther-Hagen. Itex's Wonder Boy, Omega, was there. And of course our old friend ter Borcht.

Jordan and Isabelle saw this, and immediately made a beeline for them.

"NO!" I shouted.

That was when a group of M-Geeks shot them both.

It was enough to enrage me. My blood boiled with my fury.

So, naturally, I took my anger out on whatever enemy was stupid enough to get in my way.

Slash and Sarah came over and stood with me and Fang.

"How can I get up there?" I asked Slash.

He shrugged and stabbed a SuperEraser at the same time. "We'll take care of the enemies, you get up there."

I nodded. "Got it!"

The four of us ran for the Temple.

The same group of M-Geeks tried to stop us, but we dodged the bullets with ease.

But Slash got shot in the heart.

"SLASH!" Sarah screamed, trying to get to her husband.

An M-Geek shot her too.

Time, sound, and feeling ceased.

I stopped running for the Temple. I ran to the pair.

I knelt next to Sarah, who was still breathing. Slash had been killed instantly.

She grabbed my hand. "Maximum, destroy the Cult."

I nodded. "I'm going to. Just hold on! I'll get Iggy!"

She shook her head. "No!"

I looked helplessly at Fang who was kneeling at her other side. His face was grave. He knew. He knew that we couldn't save her.

"All right," I said, fighting back tears.

Her eyes were losing focus. "Please, promise me something."

I nodded. "Anything."

Sarah stared at me, tears making her eyes misty. "My son. Perseus. Find him. Take care of him. Please! I want you to take care of him."

I stared at her. "What about Sophia? Or Sabrina?"

She shook her head. "No. You. It must be you." She shook my arm. "Say you will!"

Surprised, shocked, and scared. "I will. I promise."

She smiled and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

Sarah never opened her eyes again.

***Cries quietly* I know it's sad, but I had to do that for the purpose of the story. (I wrote a handwritten version of the Overview, and I had them down for death.)**

**Hate me if you wish, but that is my decision.**

**Review?**

**-A$h**


	46. The Battle of the Temple

**This chapter won't be the last one for today. I want to do the last ones.**

**This one is sad, but happy at the same time. Don't hate me.**

Chapter 45: The Battle of the Temple

MPOV

I knelt next to Sarah's corpse for what felt like a millennia.

Then, I took a deep breath and stood. Fang stood as well.

"I've got to stop this," I muttered.

He nodded.

Jeb came up to us, clutching his forearm, blood seeping through his fingers. "I'll go with you."

I stared at the man who was my father. It seemed I could finally trust this man.

"All right," I said.

Jeb started up the steps of the Temple.

I stared at Fang for a moment. "Make sure no one else goes up there," I said to him.

He nodded. "I'll round up the others. No other enemies will make it to the Temple alive."

I felt my heart explode with my love for him.

In a moment of memory lapse, I forgot that we were fighting, ran at him, and kissed him for the first time in almost four months.

The baby nudged, but I paid it no mind.

Our lips moved in perfect sync. I laid out all my love for him in that one kiss. All my hurt, pain, confusion, longing, lust, and passion.

He did the same.

When we broke apart, I knew that the sun was going to shine again. Because he knew I loved him.

"I'll be back," I whispered, our noses brushing.

His lips brushed against mine. "Stay safe."

I broke away from Fang, and ran up the steps of the Temple.

**(line break)**

I didn't keep track of how many steps there were on that one side of the Temple, but there were too (insert swear word here) many.

Jeb and I made it to the top without getting shot.

"Maximum Ride," said a soft, raspy voice that sounded like Voldemort's. "I knew you'd come."

Jeb paled. Whether from blood-loss or fear I couldn't tell.

A man dressed in robes made of midnight stepped out of the shadows.

I didn't know who he was, but I could probably take one guess and get it right.

"The Master of the Cult," I snarled, getting into a battle stance.

He chuckled. "Yes, Maximum, it is. But how about a hug for your grandfather."

I growled. "You're not my grandfather."

He shook his head and said, "Tut, tut. Did Jeb teach you no manners? How shameful."

I cracked a smile. "No. I have two speeds. Smart-aleck or hostile" I shrugged. "Your choice." (**A/N: Yay! Another quote from StWaOES! Only, I changed it around.**)

All my former enemies surrounded Jeb and me, pointing guns at us. Except for Pretty Boy, the Red-Haired Trio, and Dork Boy. They were standing behind the Master, looking smug.

I concentrated with all my might, making sure each gun was good and jammed.

"Time to die," the Master said. "FIRE!"

But the guns didn't fire.

Instead, each one made an explosion powerful enough to take out all of us in one go. But, thanks again to my telepathy, it was contained to only blow up each gun's holder.

When that was over, it wasn't a pretty sight.

_BANG!_

Jeb went down, a bullet in his stomach.

The Master was the one holding the gun.

I stared in horror at Jeb. Then, I sent the most horrible death glare I could manage at the Master.

He flinched.

Strike one.

I began to slowly stalk towards the group.

They backed off.

Strike two.

The others, not the Master, pulled out knives.

Strike three.

Bam. You're out.

Fury making my blood feel like lava, I used every ounce of my being to lift the knives out of their hands.

First, I took out the Red-Haired Trio. I made sure their remains could not be recognized by anyone.

Then, I made Dork Boy's knife get him in the heart.

I sent Pretty Boy a good death glare.

"You wouldn't," he said.

I replied very, very quietly, "Yes, Dylan. I would."

I made the knife stab at him. But he dodged.

And proceeded to lose his balance.

He fell from the Temple, screaming the whole way down.

Since he was too weak of a flyer, he never made it back up.

When the screaming stopped, I didn't even wince.

I started to walk towards the Master.

_You're no killer Max,_ the Voice whispered.

_I know that, _I murmured back in my head. _But he threatened my child. My entire family. He's killed my friends._

_And if you kill him, that would make you no better than him._

That stopped me dead in my tracks.

The Master was staring at me in horror.

I sent him a good, long look. "I'm not going to kill you.'

He sighed with relief.

I glared at him. "But that doesn't mean you get off the hook so easily."

He whimpered.

"You're pathetic," I spat. "Killing for killing's sake. And murdering the innocent."

The survivors of my army came up the steps. They watched carefully as the Master cowered against one of the pillars.

"That's why you're never going to see the light of day again," I snarled. "You're going to be locked up in prison where you can't hurt anyone ever again."

I shook my head. "The government will know what you have done. Everyone in the world will."

The Master stood. "It's not that easy, Maximum. It never is."

Then, he grabbed my hand and I felt the most blinding pain ever.

A white light passed in front of my eyes. I felt a strength that I had never felt before flood my veins.

The Master let go. I staggered. He dropped to the ground.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, barely able to get to his knees.

"What did _I _do to _you_? What did you do to me?"

"I was going to kill you," he said. "By using the knife you had hidden in your boot. But you took my powers."

That explains the strength.

_Release it into the Earth, Max,_ the Voice said. _Save the world._

I knelt down and place my hand on the stone floor. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths.

Then, with an almighty _whoosh!_, the strength left me.

My cuts and bruises, which had disappeared when I gained the strength, returned tenfold.

I nearly fell flat on my face, but regained my balance.

I stood. "You no longer have your powers," I said to the Master, "because you used them for the wrong reasons. Now they belong to the world. To be used for all the good reasons."

I looked to my troops. "Thank you all."

I then looked at Jeb, remembering that he had been shot.

I ran to him and knelt next to him.

He smiled weakly at me. "You did it, Maximum."

I smiled back. "I couldn't have done it without you, Dad."

He closed his eyes. "Dad…" he whispered. He smiled again.

Fang knelt next to me and put his arm around my shoulder.

Jeb reopened his eyes and looked at the two of us. "I give you… my blessing."

Then, Jeb Batchelder was gone.

I buried my face in Fang's chest and cried.

**When I was writing this one I cried. Now I find that I have a new respect for Jeb. **

**Review? For the sake of the sequel?**

**-A$h**


	47. This is Home

**This one's really happy. I like this one. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

Chapter 46: This is Home

MPOV

We stayed at the Cult for a few more hours.

Why? Because the government showed up.

They asked us a few questions. Why we were there, who we were, what they had done to provoke us. The usual.

They buried those that had died from our army.

But all I wanted was to get home. I wanted to be back with the flocks. I wanted to tell the others what had happened, who would never be coming home.

Fang stayed with me the whole time. Even when the MPs dragged the Master away kicking and screaming horrible names at me.

A man in a dark suit, military haircut, and comm unit in his ear walked over to me. Fang had his arm around my shoulder. I was cold, tired, and elated that this whole ordeal was over.

"You won't be seeing him anymore," the agent assured me. "We're going to keep him locked up someplace where he can't hurt you or your family."

I sighed with relief, but couldn't find the words to speak.

"Thank you," Fang said for me.

The man nodded. "You're both welcome."

The sun was just beginning to set when I said, "All right everyone. Let's get out of here."

Mara and the other mutants shook their heads. "No," Mara said. "We will not go with you."

I stared at her. "Why?"

She smiled a toothy grin at me. "We have our own families to return to."

I smiled and nodded. "All right." I looked them all over. "Good luck to all of you."

They smiled and ran off in various directions.

I turned to my regular troops. "Let's go home."

They nodded gratefully, and we were out of there, jack.

**(line break)**

We arrived at our home in the Colorado mountains two days later.

When we first got there, Mom came out and just stared. Then, she pulled me into a hug.

I accepted it gratefully.

Haley was crying she was so happy that Fang and I were back. She hugged my legs so hard I nearly fell over.

I knelt down and pulled her to me. "It's good to see you."

She threw her skinny little arms around my neck and said back, "I missed you too. I'm glad my scary dreams didn't come true."

Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge were all too happy to see us come back in one piece.

Ella hugged Iggy so hard I thought he was going to fall over. Then, the Hallmark moment wouldn't be complete without a kiss.

"Break her heart," I said to Iggy after they broke apart. "I break your face."

Everyone laughed.

Allan and Nudge even shared a special moment.

I pretended to be talking to Kiana, Rob's little sister, when I saw them share a quick kiss.

Ah, young love.

The hardest part though, was breaking the news of who died to the others.

Long story short, mucho tears were shed. Faults were taken by me, but insisted that it wasn't by the others.

That night, Mom made a huge welcome home dinner for us.

Fang and I sat next to each other, our ankles linked. I felt better by the touch. It reminded me that even though I had lost so many people I had cared about in the past year, I still had a chance.

Though some lives had ended, our life together was just beginning.

When we finished dinner, Fang and I pulled Haley aside for a quick word.

We had decided on this when we were coming back.

Everyone peeked around corners and around various objects to watch.

"Haley," I said. "Do you know who your parents are?"

She shook her head sadly. "Nuh-uh. The mean whitecoats took me when I was a baby."

Fang and glanced at each other and smiled. "Then how would you like a new family?"

She looked up at us. "You're putting me up for adoption, aren't you?"

Fang smiled gently at the little girl. "No."

"Haley," I said quietly. "How would you like to be our daughter?"

Haley nearly shattered the sound barrier with her squeals. "Yesyesyes!"

Fang and I smiled at each other and then at the girl.

She threw her arms around me and hugged me. "Thank you so much! I love you both!"

**Did any of you see that one coming? I had it all planned out from the beginning. The point of Haley wasn't to just be cute and adorable. She was meant to be Max and Fang's adopted daughter.**

**Review so I can do the sequel faster.**

**-A$h**


	48. Epilogue: New Beginnings

**Last chapter! I really liked it!**

Epilogue: New Beginnings

MPOV

A week later, Fang and I went to France.

Why, you may ask?

Because we had a promise to keep.

We managed to find Sarah's parents, who owned a vineyard in South France.

I knocked on the door of the house.

An elderly woman appeared. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, m'am," I said politely. "We're friends of your daughter Sarah and her husband Slash."

Apparently, someone had delivered the news of their deaths to her already, because a look of sadness crossed her kind, wrinkled face. "Oh. Won't you come in?" He voice was soft as she opened the door wider for us.

"Thank you," I said, and stepped inside.

The woman ushered us to a table where she sat with us. "I heard what happened. Someone from your government came last week."

I nodded sadly. "Did they tell you what she said?"

She nodded. "Yes. I knew you would be coming soon." She looked up and smiled gently. "And I know she couldn't have picked two more capable parents for little Percy."

A little boy, no older than Haley, who was back in the States with my mom, ran into the room. He looked exactly like Sarah. Except his eyes, blue like the deepest river water, were like Slash's. "Look Grandma!" he said, holding out a small mouse.

The woman nearly fainted on the spot. "Percy! What are you doing with that?"

He grinned at her. "I found it. I saved it from the mouse traps in the barn."

The woman shook her head. "Go put it back outside, where it belongs."

Percy nodded, running back outside.

Fang was chuckling.

"So when will he be ready to go?" I asked.

She smiled. "I had him ready just in case you came sooner."

Ten minutes later, little Percy was squirming in my arms.

"Thank you so much," the woman said kindly. "I can't tell you how much it means to me."

I smiled back. "It's nothing."

She looked at me kindly, her green eyes, so much like Sarah's I nearly started crying right then, expressed happiness. "It is. It's something. You're making sure that he can have a normal life. That is more than I can give him."

I smiled down at the little boy in my arms. "Well, you're welcome, then."

Just as we were about to take off, the woman said, sounding just like the Voice, "And don't forget, Maximum. You still have another one coming."

I stared in shock at the woman. But she disappeared into her home.

"Max," Fang said, touching my arm. "Am I finally going crazy, or did I just hear that?"

I shrugged as much as I could with the wriggling four-year-old in my arms. "I saw it. But I'm not sure if I believe it."

"Let's go home," he suggested, his voice soft.

**(line break)**

FPOV

It was five months after the Battle of the Temple.

And we, meaning the flocks, Dr. M, Ella, Haley, and Percy, were at the hospital.

I had had to bear through twelve hours of Max's screaming in pain.

But finally, a new cry pierced the air.

"Look," I whispered in her ear.

Max opened her eyes slowly, and released her death grip on my hand.

The doctor, who I was still nervous about, held out a small blanketed bundle to Max.

She carefully took it from him and smiled down at the little baby.

We hadn't wanted to find out if it was a boy or a girl. We just decided on names.

She smiled at me. "Hi, Aria."

A girl. It was a girl.

The name that we decided on was Aria Valencia Ride. We had named her after Ari, Max's late younger brother. And Valencia after Dr. M.

Max smiled and held out the bundle for me. "Want to meet your daughter?" Though she looked like she had just been through heck, her sweaty hair plastered to her face, clothes a little bloodstained, she was smiling hugely.

I carefully took the baby. I felt nervous.

I stared in total shock at the little girl that was lying peacefully in my arms.

Little eyes blinked open blearily, much like Max's did when she woke up at two in the morning.

I grinned. They were a deep chocolate brown, like Max's.

I actually allowed myself a small smile.

I handed Aria to Max. "I'm gonna go get the flock."

She nodded. "All right."

I walked out into the waiting area. Haley and Percy saw me first. They looked up at me with big, questioning eyes when I was close.

"Do you guys want to meet your little sister?" I asked.

Grins spread across their faces. "Yesyesyes!" Haley squealed.

"I'll take them," Ella said, nodding to the two toddlers. "And, plus, I want to see my niece!"

I smiled at her. "Thank you."

The three of them ran off.

Angel looked up at me and smiled, well, for lack of a better statement, angelically. I nodded and she, Gazzy, and Nudge ran off.

Iggy clapped me on the shoulder. "Well, Fang. I can't wait to finally see someone new entering the flock."

I grinned at him. Jeb had left all of us something in his will. And for Iggy he had left enough money and supplies to fix his sight. Now he could see again.

Iggy walked off with Allan, Tatiana, and Tiger.

Dr. M looked at me cautiously.

I felt embarrassment make me nervous. I rubbed the back of my neck anxiously.

She smiled and hugged me. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

I admit, I was shocked that she had hugged me. Usually she avoided that, knowing how reserved I was, and just shook my hand.

This was the first time that she had actually hugged me.

She let go and walked off to go see Max and her newborn granddaughter.

I followed behind not long after.

When I entered the room, Haley and Percy were perched on either side of Max's hospital bed. I smiled inwardly. Even though Percy didn't really know his parents, he had taken a liking to both Max and me almost instantly.

Ella was holding the Aria. She saw me come in and grinned at me. "She looks just like the both of you!"

Max smiled.

Aria was passed from flock member to flock member, and everyone "Oooo"-ed and "Ahhhh"-ed.

Then, she was passed back to Max.

Max smiled down at the Aria and whispered, "Welcome to the flock, Aria."

**Awwwww! I really liked the end! I thought it was sweet.**

**Alright-y… Sequel information. Here's the summary;**

**Sequel to Maximum Ride Book 7. Don't read if you haven't read it. It's been a year since the flock saved the world. Max and Fang have their own family, living in an unknown safe house that the CSM built as a back-up to the regular flock's. Their relationship is still going strong. Not a lot of action. Mostly romance, dates, marriages. Stuff like that.**

**I need titles. Please send them with your reviews! The ones I like the most I'll make a poll out of. Then it will be up to you to decide which one will be the real title. I'll close the poll once I have… 150 votes. Then, the person who suggested the winning title will get a sneak peek of the story!**

**So… what cha think? Review! And send in those titles people!**

**-A$h**


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